Halo: New Horizons
by creamofwheat2311
Summary: The year is 2559, and the UNSC has discovered a large anomaly on the edge of the galactic rim. What it turns out to be has the potential to change history, but maybe not in the way the UNSC intended. Meanwhile, with the first Death Star destroyed, the Rebel Alliance is desperately trying to overthrow the Empire, but it will take the help of new allies to liberate the galaxy. AU.
1. Chapter 1: Departure

**Authors Note: This is my first fanfiction I've written, hopefully it's not that bad compared to some of the other amazing ones I've been reading so far.**

**Please review if you have time, I would greatly appreciate any advice or such.**

**Enjoy**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but all original content is mine.**

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**Chapter 1: Departure**

**Bridge of the UNSC _Port Stanley_, March 5th, 2559, **

_CINCONI Margaret Parongosky to Captain Serin Osman_

_March 4th, 2559, ONI Research Facility Trevelyan_

_Serin,_

_ Excellent job taking care of Venezia, those bastards finally got what they deserved. One less thorn in the UNSC's side. The Pious Inquisitor will make a great addition to our slowly rebuilding fleet. Still no sign of our dear friend Jul, hopefully that teleport dumped him into a sun, but I don't think we got off that lucky. We should have disposed of him while we had the chance, hopefully he doesn't come back to bite us in the ass someday. Some good news though, the Infinity is fully operational, and with the Arbiter finally putting down the Sangheili rebellion, it looks like they won't be troubling us again._

_ Now for the real reason I contacted you. As much as we would appreciate the help from the Port Stanley and her crew, I have another mission for Kilo-5. One of our long-range slipspace probes have detected a large anomaly near the edge of the galaxy, and I need someone I can trust to investigate it. Coordinates have been enclosed, and with your new slipspace drives, should get you there in about two days. My bets are that it's another shield world, but there's no way we can be sure, be careful out there._

_ On another note, I hoped you found the little "surprise" I left you in your latest resupply. Best regards to BB and the rest,_

_ - Margaret_

Captain Serin Osman put down the data pad, and sat back in her chair. She looked down to the bag of gift-wrapped ginger cubes in her lap, and popped one in her mouth. "BB, did you get the coordinates?" A black holographic cube materialized next to Osman, Kilo-5's assigned AI, Black-Box.

"The routes been plotted before you even started reading Captain, the whole millions of processes per second thing comes in handy sometimes." Osman smiled, ever since BB started working with Kilo-5, he's become more than an AI, he's a part of the crew, as human as anybody else.

"Find out where the rest of the crew is and call them to the bridge, lets brief them before we set off on our little adventure." said Osman

"Mal, Vaz, and Devereaux are in the wardroom, Naomi is in the armory, she might as well put a cot down there, and Phillips just got rudely awakened from his beauty sleep. Dear me, I wonder where he learned those Sangheili curses. I didn't bother with the Huragok, I figured they were having enough fun playing with the Mantis, and they probably wouldn't care anyway" BB floated over to the navigation console, even though he didn't need to. BB wasn't so much a part of the ship, he _was_ the ship. He was integrated into every system; he saw everything, heard everything, and did everything. Even so, that only required a fraction of BB's processing power. He was also in constant contact with fragments that he'd left in the _Infinity _with that ship's own AI Roland, ONIRF Trevelyan, and Bravo-6 back at Earth. Instant Slip-space comms were a wonderful thing.

The rest of Kilo-5 steadily trickled into the bridge, starting with Mal, Vaz, and Devereaux. Three tough-as-nails ODSTs, battle-hardened, smart, dependable, and loyal, they took their places around the briefing table. Next to come in was Phillips, their language and interpretation expert, eyes red, hair and beard in disarray, with a cup of coffee in his hand. The thud of heavy boots on metal signified the arrival of Naomi, one of the last Spartan-II's known to exists.

Her ghostly pale face contrasted deeply with her dark purple MJOLNIR armour, and her helmet was tucked under her arm. Now that everyone was here, Osman looked over her crew. They've been through a lot together, Venezia, the extraction on Sanghelios, the shield world, and various other missions. She knew she could depend on them, they were _her_ crew.

Mal opened up the conversation."Do we have another mission ma'am?" Sarcastically, he added "Cause lord knows I was getting tired of drinking all that beer."

"Actually yes staff sergeant, we do." Osman replied. "ONI has decided to send us to the edge of the galactic rim to investigate a large anomaly that one of our long-range slipspace probes detected."

"Can't somebody else do this ma'am?" said Vaz, "Just seems like a gross misallocation of resources to me"

"Our orders came down from Parongosky herself, and besides, were currently the closest ONI team. Although I will say that I was thinking the same thing myself." replied Osman.

"Think Big Maggie knows something we don't?" Mal asked.

Osman replied, "No, she would certainly tell me something like that." Being one of the original Spartan-II candidates, Osman was kidnapped from her parents at the age of six, and spent the next 8 years in brutal training. However, during her augmentations, Osman's body reacted badly, leaving her badly crippled. Parongosky must have seen potential in young Osman though, as she rehabilitated her back to normal, and started culling her to become her replacement as CINCONI. In a way, Parongosky was more of a mother to Osman than her biological one. If Parongosky knew of any possible danger, she definitely would have let Osman know.

"Seems like a piece of cake ma'am" said Devereaux.

"I hope so." replied Osman. "BB, prepare to jump."

"Ready when you are Captain." BB stated

Osman went back to her bridge chair, closed her eyes, and tightly gripped the arms of her chair. Slipspace jumps never agreed with her; hopefully the ginger Parongosky sent would mitigate the nausea.

BB counted down, "In five, four, three, two, one, and were off, like a herd of raging turtles..."

Osman's stomach felt like it had flipped over, and her head started to feel light, but that was as bad as it got. She opened her eyes, and stared out the viewport into complete blackness, the unknown dimension of slipspace. Speaking to the crew she said, "It'll be about 2 days until we get to our destination, so eat well, clean your gear, and get some rest."

As the crew began to leave, Osman called out, "Naomi, stay here, I'd like to talk to you."

The Spartan turned around and went back to the bridge, and stood in front of the Captain. "Ma'am?"

Osman took a long look at her, noticing her face was completely expressionless. Spartans were masters at hiding their emotions, most likely due to spending so much time behind their faceless visors. But Osman wouldn't be fooled so easily, Naomi's eyes told her everything she needed to know.

"You didn't say a word the whole briefing, are you feeling alright?" Osman asked.

"I'm fully combat operational Captain." she replied.

"That's not what I'm asking about, and you know it."

Naomi shifted her eyes downwards, as if her boots had suddenly grown extremely interesting, but remained silent.

"It's okay to grieve." Osman said quietly.

Though the mission to capture the _Pious Inquisitor_ was officially a success, it had some unforeseen, and unfortunate consequences. The UNSC's kidnapping of Naomi sent her family into turmoil after the replacement clone inevitably died, with her mother eventually killing herself, and her father moving to Venezia and becoming a staunch insurrectionist. During Kilo-5's deployment to Venezia to track down the _Inquisitor_, the ship finally showed up in-system, however Naomi's father was on board along with his Kig-Yar associate. ONI had ordered the immediate commencement of boarding operations, and the plan was to immediately capture the bridge and shut down the rest of the ship from there. However, during the breaching, Naomi's father was about to shoot Vaz while he was distracted with the Kig-Yar shipmaster, and Naomi was the only one in the position to stop him. She had no choice, and without hesitation, she pulled the trigger.

As Osman was looking at Naomi, she thought, _Damn, even for a Spartan, killing your own father must be unimaginably painful._

Naomi looked up, and with slightly glazed eyes said, "I'm fine Captain."

Osman, sensing that it would be a bad idea to push the issue further, nodded her head. "Dismissed Spartan."

Naomi saluted, Osman returned it, and the Spartan turned on her heal and strode down the hall, Osman watching her go.

Osman turned around, and BB materialized in front of her. "She'll pull through Captain, those Spartans aren't made out of tin foil."

"I know BB, just wanting to make sure."

"Get some rest Captain, you've been up for 18 hours, and were going to need you fully functional in case we run into something like a galactic toll booth."

Osman smiled, and went back to her cabin to catch some shut-eye, wondering what exactly would await her crew.

* * *

**Bridge of the UNSC _Port Stanley_, March 7th, 2559, ****Slipspace Anomaly at Galactic Rim**

Osman got out of her chair, and walked over to the forward view screen. "BB, what exactly am I looking at here?"

It took BB a couple of seconds to respond, quite a long time by AI standards. "Well Captain, the energy readings I'm getting are consistent with those associated with wormholes, although this is unlike any wormhole that's ever been recorded."

"How so?" Osman asked.

"Are you familiar with Einstein's theory of general relativity ma'am?"

"Vaguely. What about it?."

"Well Captain, this wormhole fits the specifications of an Einsteinian traversable wormhole."

Osman raised her eyebrows. "Traversable? So we could travel through this?"

"In theory Captain. This wormhole possibly leads to another point on the galaxy, or even another galaxy altogether." BB said.

"That's incredible." Osman explained

"Indeed. But Captain, there is another theory concerning traversable wormholes. It may be possible that one end of the wormhole is accelerated to some significant fraction of the speed of light, perhaps with some advanced propulsion system, and then brought back to the point of origin. As a result, time dilation causes the end of the wormhole that has been moved to have aged less than the stationary end." BB explained.

Osman was silent for a moment. Quietly, she asked, "Time travel?"

"It's a possibility ma'am." BB replied.

Osman was silent for a moment, then sprang into action. "BB, bring the ship up to readiness levels, get the rest of Kilo-5 to report to the bridge, and I want an unmanned probe launched ASAP, one of the new ones the Hurogok have modified."

"Roger that Captain." A quiet thud reverberated through the ship. "Probe away. Estimated time to contact with wormhole, thirty seconds."

The rest of Kilo-5 arrived at a bridge, confused but alert, and Mal asked, "Why the sudden alert ma'am, are we under attack?"

Osman raised a hand to shush him. "BB, status on the probe."

"Estimated contact in seven seconds... six... five... four... three... two... one..."

"Status?" Osman urgently asked.

BB was silent for a second. "I've established contact with the probe ma'am, it's transmitting."

"And?" Osman breathlessly replied.

"The probe is picking up sensor reading, you won't believe this ma'am. The date it's transmitting... it's 2522."

Silence fell over the entire bridge. Vaz then summed up the collective feeling rather nicely, "Holy shit." he said.

Excitement in her voice, Devereaux exclaimed, "Ma'am, do you know what this means? We could change the outcome of the entire war! Think of all the good we could do, how many lives we could save!"

Osman slowly nodded her head, than addressed the holographic box to her left, "BB, send a message to Hood and Parongosky immediately, priority ALPHA, encryption code 8392-4934. Let them know how important this is, and ask them to send as many ships as they can spare. I also want everything that probe is capturing recorded and analyzed. The more we know about what's happening at the other end, the better. I want the ship in full stealth mode, and establish a perimeter of Havoc nuclear mines around the wormhole, in case any unwanted guests show up. Naomi, Vaz, Mal, and Devereaux, I want weapons, armor, and vehicles cleaned and ready to go. BB, get the Huragok to upgrade anything they haven't already. Got it?"

A series of "Yes ma'am"s echoed through the bridge.

Osman nodded. "Let's get it done it Kilo-5"

* * *

_ONI 4th gen AI Black-Box, to Admirals Hood and Parongosky._

_URGENT - PRIORITY ALPHA - URGENT_

_CLASSIFICATION: TOP SECRET EYES ONLY_

_Encryption code 8392-4933-28944._

_Location Galactic Rim, coordinates enclosed._

_WARNING - UNATHOURIZED DISCLOSURE OF FILE CONTENTS PUNISHABLE BY DEATH AS PER UNSC CODE 110-23B - WARNING_

_Admirals,_

_Further investigation into slip-space anomaly reveals it as a traversable wormhole. Probe has been successfully launched and information acquired shows the probe to have traveled to the year 2522. Time travel, admirals. Surely I don't need to explain the significance of this discovery. We could end the war before it even started. Recommend the sending of a Sierra-class battle-group and all available assets from ONIRF Trevelyan that could be of use. All hands on deck for this one. We await your response_

_Kilo-5 out_

_- TRANSMISSION END -_

* * *

_Admiral Hood to ONI 4th gen AI Black-Box_

_URGENT - PRIORITY ALPHA - URGENT_

_CLASSIFICATION: TOP SECRET EYES ONLY_

_Encryption code 8392-4933-28944._

_Location UNSC Infinity_

_WARNING - UNATHOURIZED DISCLOSURE OF FILE CONTENTS PUNISHABLE BY DEATH AS PER UNSC CODE 110-23B - WARNING_

_Kilo-5,_

_Request for Sierra-class battle-group granted, supplemented by detachment of Separatist Sangheili warships. Assets from ONIRF Trevelyan acquired, and S-4's are now embarked. Will make best possible speed to rendezvous point. All hands on deck._

_Hood out_

_- TRANSMISSION END -_

* * *

**Bridge of the UNSC _Infinity_, Sierra-Class Battle-Group _Keyes_, March 9th, 2559,**** Slipspace Anomaly at Galactic Rim**

On the outskirts the newly discovered wormhole stood one of the largest fleets gathered following the end of the Human-Covenant war.

A Sierra-class battle-group was quite a sight these days outside of the vast UNSC Home Fleet and the reclaimed Reach System Epsilon Eindani.

Humanity was recovering, but it was doing so quite aggressively and quickly.

Consisting of twenty _Paris-class _heavy Frigates, twelve _Thanatos_-_class _Destroyers, eight _Marathon-class _Heavy Cruisers, ten Refitted _Halcyon-Class_ Cruisers, one Cradle Mobile Repair and Resupply platform, and of course, the UNSC _Infinity _as the flagship of the group.

In addition the Sangheili forces consisted of eight _CCS-class _battlecruisers, and two _CAS-class _Assault Carriers.

While sixty-two warships paled in comparison to the number of vessels that could be procured during the Human-Covenant War, this battle-group had a distinct advantage: the incorporation of Forerunner technology. Shields had been added to every ship, with the strength growing with the size of the ship. Frigates could take up to two plasma torpedoes and a single MAC rounds before their shielding failed, while larger ships such as Cruisers could withstand up to four torpedoes and two or three MAC rounds.

Plasma guidance systems have also been improved upon Sangheili vessels, greatly improving their accuracy and homing capabilities. However, the most important technological advancement was without a doubt ability to perform extremely accurate slipspace jumps. Now commanders knew exactly when and where their ships would exit slipspace, and micro-jumps opened up whole new realms of tactical battle strategies.

Due to the massive amounts of energy required for a jump, UNSC and Covenant Separatists have installed a smaller, secondary reactor in all of their ships for the sole purpose of powering the FTL drives, but in an emergency, one reactor could power the whole ship. Because of this new tech, a smaller, augmented force could in theory, defeat another unaugmented, numerically superior force. "Quality over Quantity" as the saying goes.

Captain Thomas Lasky stood on the bridge of the _Infinity_, and nodded his head slightly, his forces were ready. Ever since Captain Del Rio had died from a massive brain aneurism, Lasky had been placed in command of the _Infinity_, and now the whole of battle-group _Keyes_. It was a huge responsibility, but Lasky knew he'd be able to shoulder it.

He had faith in his men, they'd follow him to hell and back if the situation arose, and they might be doing just that. The plan once they exited the wormhole was as follows: The Sangheili task force commanded by Arbiter Thel Vadum' would try to convince the Covenant of the Prophets lies using records gathered during the Human-Covenant war and the events immediately after.

If that didn't work, a special forces team would be inserted to try to assassinate the Prophets Truth, Mercy, and Regret, to deprive to Covenant of their leadership. Then, the task force would make it's way to Earth to inform them of the situation, and upgrade Human technology, especially ships, more up to par with Covenant ones. As a last resort, Lasky had authorization to destroy High Charity with a NOVA bomb, effectively crippling the Covenant for a long period of time.

However, Lasky was a strong believer in the age-old proverb, "No plan survives contact with the enemy." They would see soon enough.

"BB, send a message to the _Shadow of Intent_, tell them that we're ready to move when they are."

"Yes Captain." BB said. In addition to controlling the _Port Stanley_, BB has also integrated into the systems of the _Infinity_, and is the coordinator for all AI's across the fleet. "Sir, the Arbiter reports that his ships are ready to move as well."

"Very well. Coordinate movement with the fleet, Helm, ahead full." commanded Lasky

"Aye sir" were the responses, and battle-group _Keyes _began moving towards the wormhole in perfect tandem.

Lasky stared out the forward viewscreen. _Once more unto the breach_.


	2. Chapter 2: First Contact

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but all original content is mine.**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Strangers**

**Echo Base Command Center, 3 Years ABY (After Battle of Yavin),**** Hoth**

General Carlist Rieekan ignored the chill in the air as he looked at the screens around the command center once again. The battle was not going well for the Rebel Alliance. Ever since Captain Solo had reported the sighting of an Imperial probe droid, General Rieekan had ordered the base dismantled and for personnel to start the evacuation process. _Blast, if only we had more time,_ he thought.

They were still in the process of loading the transports when the Imperial Fleet arrived. Echo Base was able to get it's shields up in time to prevent an orbital bombardment, but Imperial ground forces were now landing outside of the shield and preparing to advance. Rieekan knew that the Rebel defenses were just a stalling measure; they just didn't have the firepower to contend with the Imperials. He walked over to the officer in charge of coordinating the evacuation. "How much time until the transports are ready to leave?"

The officer, looking stressed and tired, replied, "30 minutes sir, we've got 6 left to load, but the rest are ready to take off on your order."

Rieekan sighed. "We might not have 30 minutes, do your best to speed it up."

"Yes sir." the young officer said.

The General clapped him on the shoulder, and went over to communications officer on the other side of the command center, stepping over the wires and cables that ran to and fro between the rather hastily set up computers and consoles. "Status of our forces?" he asked.

The young officer, a boy not past the age of 20, hastily replied with a twinge of fear in her voice, Rieekan couldn't blame her, he remembered the days when he was that young in his first battle.

"Primary defensive lines Echo-1A through Echo-1G are reporting overrun, they are relocating to secondary defensive positions. Echo-2A and 2B. 60% casualties reported sir, they are pinned down by the lead Imperial AT-ST's primary weapon systems. An earlier offensive push on the Ion Cannon at Outpost Beta has been repulsed by Rouge Squadron, but it looks like they're gearing up for another attack sir. However we have been lucky that the Imperials have not deployed many AT-AA's, but that may not be the case for very long."

Rieekan rubbed the stubble on his chin in frustration. "Alright then, Communications, reroute teams Blue-6 and Blue-7 to Outpost Beta, have them reinforce Renegade squadron at the Ion Cannon."

The Comms officer looked confused. "But sir, they're defending a large munitions cache that has yet to be loaded. We're just going to abandon it?"

"We have no choice." replied the General. "We need that Ion Cannon to give us a chance to get though that blasted Imperial blockade, one barrage from those lead Star Destroyers will tear our transports apart before they even break into high orbit. Tell them to set charges, and double-time it over to Outpost Beta. And get me Commander Skywalker."

"Right away sir." The comms officer went to work, and handed him a comlink, flashing an indicator that someone was on the other end as he put it up to his ear.

A familiar voice came through.

"Commander Skywalker?" Rieekan asked.

"Yes General?" came the voice from the other end, the sounds from the cockpit of the airspeeder hardly muffled at all.

"What's the status of your squadron?"

"Almost fully functional, Rouge 10 got shot down by a lucky shot from an AT-ST's cannons, but we've recovered him. All other speeders are good to go."

"Very good. Listen up, we're diverting ground forces to reinforce the Ion Cannon, and we need your squadron to provide top cover while they move. Rally at point -"

He didn't get to finish before he was interrupted by the frantic shouts from several of the officers in the command center, including the comms officer.

"General! General!"

"Wait one Commander." Rieekan told Luke. He turned to the comms officer. "What is it son?"

"Sir! Forward Post Alpha is reporting a large Imperial force advancing on their position! They have AT-AT's!"

Rieekan closed his eyes.

_Fierfek, that's where the shield generator is. If we lose that we'll be wide open to orbital bombardment. And AT-ATs too, we've got nothing in our arsenal that can penetrate that kind of armor._

Rieekan considered his options. Finally, he opened his eyes and into his comlink asked, "Commander, are you still with me?"

"I hear you sir." came the reply.

"Good, I have new orders for you. Rouge Squadron is to divert to Forward Post Alpha and assist in the defense there. Protecting the shield generator is top priority, I don't need to tell you what would happen if we lost it before our transports took off. Do what you can to distract those AT-AT's, we've got nothing on the ground that's a serious enough threat to them. Once the transports are away, disengage, mount up in your X-wings, and get off planet. I don't want any unnecessary heroics, the Alliance needs you Rouges." ordered Rieekan.

"Yes sir! Skywalker out!", the squadron leader replied as the line went dead as he turned back to the situation at hand, dealing with the evacuation, which one of the other officers helping with the evacuation turned to him from his station with a SITREP.

"Sir! All transports are loaded and ready to disembark!"

_Best news all damn day, t_he general thought inwardly as he half jogged to the holographic command table were all of the heavy transports icons now flashed green.

"Excellent. Get fire control to coordinate the dropping of the shield with the firing of the Ion Cannon, and have any X-wings we have to escort the transports through the blockade, three per transport if possible." Rieekan raised his comlink again. "You hear that Commander? Transports are in the process of evacuating. Get over to Forward Post Alpha and see what you can do. Good luck."

"Same to you sir, Rouge leader out."

Rieekan put down the comlink, and ran his hands over his head. All things considered, they might just have a chance to pull off the evacuation. He thought of all the troops he had fighting on the ground, stalling the Imperials, dying in a battle they know they couldn't win. He knew an officer had to be willing to spend the lives of his men for the greater good, but that never made it any easier._ I'll be damned if I waste the chance they gave us, their sacrifices won't be forgotten_. If only they'd had more time, maybe they could've-

Again his thoughts were interrupted.

"General! Come look at this!" yelled the sensors operator.

Rieekan was jolted out of his thoughts. "What is it? More AT-AT's"

"No sir! Long range scanners are picking up ships outside of the Imperial blockade, about 100,000 kilometers distant from the Imperial battlefleet just past the orbit of the planet's moons and asteroid field. Holding a loose formation!"

"Imperial reinforcements?" Rieekan asked.

"Unknown sir, the ships don't match up with any profiles we have on record, unknown origin." the man said.

"Well they sure as hell aren't ours, at least not that I know of. But if they're not Imperial, maybe we can use this to our advantage." Rieekan said.

"Sir! Imperial ships are moving off to intercept, it's an engagement pattern!" the sensor operator said.

"Looks like we've been granted a little luck today. Use the confusion and see if we can't slip some of our transports through the gaps in the blockade. And tell the Ion Cannon not to fire on those unknown ships, we don't want to cause any inadvertent hostilities. Communications, see if you can send a message to that other fleet." Rieekan ordered.

"I'll try sir, record your message in three, two, one," he pointed at Rieekan

"Attention unidentified ships, this is General Carlist Rieekan of the Alliance to Restore the Republic..."

* * *

**Bridge of the Imperial Star Destroyer _Accuser_, 3 Year ABY, ****Imperial Blockade above Rebel planet Hoth**

Admiral Kendal Ozzel, for the second time today, was more than a little scared for his life. His plan for a saturated bombardment of the Rebel base was foiled when the rebel shield was deployed before his Star Destroyers could get into position. He had somewhat managed to salvage the attack by launching a surface assault, and reports from his ground commanders showed the battle going well for the Imperials. Still, Lord Vader was not pleased at the sudden change in plans, and before leaving aboard the Executor in pursuit of the _Millennium Falcon_, he told Ozzel very plainly that "If you fail to destroy the Rebels, than you will die for your incompetence." Things had been going well enough, with his fleet managing to destroy more than half of their transports so far, despite the best efforts of that annoying Ion Cannon.

That was until, the unknown ships showed up.

"Admiral, sensors are reading some kind of disturbance off our stern, just outside weapons range." a gray-coated bridge officer said.

"What kind of disturbance, hyperspace?" Ozzel asked

"No sir, readings are inconsistent with known hyperspace exit-vector energies."

"Put it on the view-screen." commanded Ozzel.

Ozzel looked at the image now being transmitted, and saw only the inky blackness of space, punctuated by the pinpricks of light that were the stars. Ozzel, who was always one to anger quickly, was about to turn on his heel and reprimand the officer for giving him false information when all of a sudden, he saw it. Nine ships, appeared on the view-screen right in front of his eyes, as if from nothing.

Ozzel was dumbfounded, he had never seen ships of the likes of these before.

Five of the vessels seemed very box-like and ugly, with four being just over half as long as a Victory-class Star Destroyer, and the other about 500 meters longer than that, obviously a heavier classification of ship.

The other two ships were a stark contrast, their purple hulls sleek and flat, their mid sides rounded, and pronounced bulbs on the front of their nose, also about the size of one of his ships. But what worried him the most was the center ship, it was huge, not as large as the _Executor_, but almost quadruple the size of a Star Destroyer, some six kilometers long. It had the same basic design as the more boxlike ships, although on a much larger scale.

They were clearly all warships, the purple ships had what had to be energy weapon emitters and weapons ports of some kind on them; but the boxy ships were covered in nothing but armor, missile ports, several turreted weapons of some kind a what looked like from this distance large spinally mounted weapons along with dozens of smaller close in weapons systems.

Ozzel was snapped out of his observations by one of the bridge officers. "Admiral, your orders?"

"Do we know if they're Rebel reinforcements?" Ozzel asked

"Unknown sir, they don't mach any ships in our databases, if they are allied with the Rebels then we haven't seen them before." A bridge officer said from his console.

"Unknown or otherwise, I will not let them interfere with my plans." Ozzel stated. He couldn't take any chances, it was _his_ life on the line after all. "Try to establish communications, and send them this message."

Ozzel cleared his throat. "Attention unidentified vessels, this is Imperial Admiral Kendal Ozzel. You are interfering with the affairs of the Galactic Empire, remove yourself from the system immediately, or you will be labeled as hostile and treated as such." He nodded his head. Wherever these new ships could have come from, they would have to know about the Galactic Empire, and only a fool would risk provoking the vast might of the Imperials.

Ozzel turned towards the comms officer. "Any response?" he asked.

"No sir, my instruments show they are receiving, but either they're unable to respond, or they're choosing not to." he stated.

"Admiral, I'm detecting no movement from any of the ships, they're just staying still. Maybe their systems are malfunctioning?" suggested the sensor officer.

"No," Ozzel said, "This has to be some Rebel trick. Weapons, fire a warning shot over the bow of that large ship."

"Yes sir." came the reply. The ship shook, and two lances of green turbolaser energy shot out from the _Accuser_ and towards the largest ship. Ozzel watched them streak over the ship, but after 15 seconds, there was still no response. It looked like they were going to have to do this the hard way. Ozzel wasn't worried, he had the now enemy ships outnumbered by five ships, with his fleet consisting of 4 Victory I-class Star Destroyers, 3 Imperial I-class Star Destroyers, 2 Imperial II-class Star Destroyers, and 6 Tartan-class cruisers.

"Admiral, still no attempt to communicate or move." said one of the officers.

"Very well then. Disengage the fleet from the blockade, and assume attack pattern Alpha. Victory's in front, class-I's on the sides, class-II's in the middle, above and below the Victory's and Tartans dispersed throughout. Accelerate to nominal weapons range, target one of their smaller ships, and fire at will."

The Accuser rumbled beneath his feet as its huge thrusters pushed it onto a new course

A flurry of green lasers blasted towards the enemy ships.

* * *

**Bridge of the UNSC _Infinity_, Date Unknown, Location**** Unknown**

Thomas Lasky was having a dream, and it was a good one at that. He was sitting under an oak tree with his older brother, back when they were kids. It was fall, his favorite time of year, and he could see the vivid reds, oranges, and yellows of the leaves, both on the trees and off. A light breeze blew, and he could smell the scent of burning leaves. _Must be dad, _he thought.

He turned and looked at his brother, who gestured at the ground, towards the chess game they had going in progress. It was Thomas's favorite game, and even though he beat his brother almost every time, they played it whenever they got a chance.

It was his turn, and he moved his knight to take an enemy rook; Thomas smiled, it was a careless mistake on his brothers part. All he had to do was move his queen and he'd be in checkmate. He looked back up, to tell his brother the bad news, but he was gone, along with the fall setting. Now he was back at the Corbulo Academy of Military Science, and they were under attack. He looked to his left, and saw Colonel Mehaffy get impaled by needle rounds.

Without thinking, Thomas dove to the ground, a took cover behind a concrete barrier. But what he saw stopped him in his tracks. Cadet Silva, needler round in her abdomen, looked up and called his name.

"Lasky." she said weakly.

He rushed over to her, and grasped her hand in his. _No no no no no, this can't be happening, _he thought. The one person he's developed a connection to after the death of his brother was now dying in his arms. He could feel the tears swelling in his eyes.

"Lasky," she said again.

"I'm here." he managed to choke out. She looked pale, paler than he thought someone could ever be.

She took her dog tags, and placed them between their hands.

"It'll be all right." she said, between short, sharp breaths.

Thomas, tears falling freely now, gripped her hand harder than he ever thought he could. She gave a weak smile, two more short breaths, then closed her eyes...

And his flew open.

Captain Serin Osman was standing over him looking worried, a small trickle of blood running down her face from a cut above her left eyebrow.

Her mouth was moving, but Lasky could hear no words come out.

A sharp pain emanated from his right hand, and he looked at it. It was closed tight, and when he opened it, he saw blood running from his fingers. In his hand was the stone Spartan 117 had given him; he must have gripped it so tightly that he pierced his skin.

But under the stone, Lasky saw a metallic reflection. He looked and saw they were dog tags. _I wonder who those are,_ he thought, and he read the name. Silva, Chyler, blood type B-, service number 1932-4883-190. Then, like a splash of cold water to the face, everything came back to him.

"Captain Lasky! Get up! Thomas!" heard Osman yell.

He looked at her, and took her outstretched hand. Once he was on his feet, Lasky surveyed the scene on the expansive bridge of the UNSC Infinity

It was chaos.

Alarms were flashing and wailing, consoles were red with error messages, and bridge personnel darted to and fro, trying to make sense of what was happening. Lasky heard a cacophony of status reports from exasperated bridge crew.

"Main reactor is offline! Secondary reactor is approaching critical limits!"

"Communications have gone silent, I can't read anybody!"

"Main weapons systems are offline, we have no offensive capabilities!"

"Shields are down, we're defenseless!"

"Sensors are blind, I can't see anything!"

"Engines and maneuvering thrusters aren't responding!"

"Hull stresses are reaching maximum levels! Structural integrity is falling, we're going to break apart!"

Lasky bolted into action and grabbed the nearest comm system, keying it to match all available frequencies.

"_Mayday Mayday Mayday! This is UNSC Infinity, we are suffering critical systems malfunctions and need assistance, Mayday Mayday Mayday!"_

Then, as suddenly as it started, it stopped.

Alarms stopped, consoles returned to their normal settings, and reports started coming in.

"Hull stresses stopped, structural integrity is sound again."

"Sensors are back up, commencing scan of the area."

"Main reactor is back online, secondary is falling to normal levels."

"Weapons and shielding systems still offline, as well as the engines."

"Communications is patchy, trying to fix it."

Lasky took stock of the situation.

They had sensors, which was good, at least they could figure out what was happening on the outside. Both reactors were at safe levels, but that didn't really help, as engines, shields, and weapon systems were still down.

_Damn, we're sitting ducks._

For all of the power that the UNSC Infinity welded, the expansive weapons systems that could devastate a planet's continents, the advanced subspace engines and forerunner improved Slipspace drives along with all of the 17,000 personnel she carried, a puny UNSC Frigate could gut her with its main weapon systems in this defenses state.

"BB, are you there?" asked Lasky.

A black box materialized at the nearby holographic pedestal. "Yes Captain, although I must say, that was quite a scare we had back there."

Osman, who was getting her cut treated by a medic, asked, "What exactly happened BB?"

"Do you want simple terms, or quantum physics textbook terms?"

"Simple please." Lasky replied

"Well Captain, it seems that when we passed through the wormhole, it, well, malfunctioned."

"Malfunctioned? In what way?" asked Lasky.

"I'm not sure, but I'm not picking up readings from the probe we dropped earlier, so this isn't 2522, unfortunately. To be honest, I have no idea whats going on." BB said.

To hear that from a 4th gen AI, one who could do millions of calculations per second, one of the most advanced of his kind, was more than just a little unsettling.

"Sir, sensors are picking up a planet, there's life readings on it!" said one officer at the fore of the bridge.

"Bring it up on the viewscreen." Lasky ordered.

The wall at the front of the bridge flashed to show the familiar dazzle of countless stars against the backdrop of space. And about right in front of the _Infinity_ about 150,000 kilometers distant was a single world, covered in continents that were nothing but Ice and snow, with very few discernible features, blanketed by a thick cloudy atmosphere.

_What an Icecube._

"Cross reference it with our catalogs, does it match?" Lasky questioned as the officer, a woman in her early 30's shook her head.

"Negative sir. Be advised, sensors are also picking up 15 ships blockading the planet, also of unknown origin. Holding about one hundred thousand clicks off of our starboard side" he answered.

BB spoke up. "I have good news and bad news Captain. The good news is the fleet is mostly intact, although a significant number are on the far side of this planet, suffering the same problems we are, so they won't be of any help to us. Also, there are 8 other ships in our immediate vicinity, the frigates _Scranton_ and _Nelson,_ the destroyers _Kennedy _and _Stalingrad,_ one Marathon-class cruiser _Last Unto Dusk_, and two of the Arbiters ships, the CCS _Redemption _and the CAS_ Shadow of Intent_. Bad news is that those ships are breaking off their blockade on what appears to be an intercept course, and I have no way of communicating with them."

The viewscreen switched to show the profiles of the ships in front of his fleet, and Lasky and Osman stepped closer to take in their features.

They seemed to all follow a similar design pattern, an Isosceles triangle with a rising tower section at the stern that held what looked to be a command section. There were four contacts just short of a thousand meters in length, and five that were 1600 meters in length and were covered in dull gray armor with dozens of weapons ports, including six very large turreted weapon mounts. Taking up a position on their flanks were six contacts that were of a slightly different design philosophy that were no larger than a UNSC Paris Class Heavy Frigate and slightly smaller than a Midlothian Class Heavy Destroyer.

Something about their design looked vaguely as if they could have been crafted by human hands, or machines rather.

"Captain, I'm picking up energy spikes along the sides of those ships, wait, it's been discharged! Incoming munitions!" the sensors operator exclaimed as Lasky's heart began to race.

"Sir, the trajectory of those bursts show that they will pass over the bow of our ship, warning shots." BB stated with the distinct calmness of an Artifical Intelligence.

"And we have no way of acknowledging their warning, so we will most likely deemed as hostile. I want us back at full operational status and I want it done yesterday!" Lasky yelled.

"Get shields and weapons systems online ASAP! Notify all personnel to report to battle stations, this is not a drill! BB, see what you can do about getting communications back online, I need to talk to my ships."

The warning shots passed over the _Infinity,_ and Lasky got a good look at them. Too fast to be plasma, and about the same speed as most modern electromagnetically fired projectiles, and a bright sapphire green. It was rather pretty, he thought, yet he didn't doubt its capability to inflict damage.

Then from BB finally came some good news, "Sir, all systems have been restored to operational status, and communications are now back up. Scans show the rest of the ships near us bringing systems back online as well, but be advised, sensors show _Scranton_ to still be dead in the space, I'm getting nothing from her."

"Sir, unknown ships are advancing on an attack vector! They are accelerating! Taking a very tight formation! Energy spike! They're firing again, targeting the _Scranton_!" an officer said from her station.

"Dammit! Order them to abandon ship!" Lasky yelled.

Frustrated, the comms officer replied, "I can't sir! She's not receiving!"

The crew of the _Infinity_ could only watch in horror as the energy weapon barrage from the alien battlegroup raced towards the _Scranton_ as one.

Without her shield, they impacted directly onto the hull, Green flashes strobed from the ships as a dozen larger duller Bolts of energy coalesced into a fiery smear against the blackness of space.

The deadly flashes of light impacted on the Scranton and splashed across its hull, imparting a massive amount of physical force causing sections of the affect areas of the warship to shimmer like the surface of water while nearly a meter of titanium A composite battleplate, which normally could take contact detonations of nuclear devices in the range of the Hiroshima bomb with little effort, instantly boiled away as more and more weapons fire hit in quick succession, and plumes of ignited atmosphere burst from the breach in the ship's hull.

Several bodies tumbled out into the unforgiving cold vacuum.

The _Scranton_ rolled violently as the physical energy imparted itself on the 500 meter long warship.

Another flurry of the heavier energy bolts stuck the left engine housing, shearing it off, while another hit directly amidships, right below the main reactor. The result was predictable, yet still horrifying, as the deuterium nuclear fusion reactor went critical, enveloping the remains of the frigate in a bright ball of superheated light, before violently exploding.

There was nothing left of the _Scranton_ aside from various small debris.

Lasky slammed his fist onto the display table.

Not even five minutes into the battle and he'd already lost a ship, along with the hundreds of men and woman on board. Lasky wanted to explode with rage, but the more rational part of his mind prevailed.

_Think of what kind of example that would set for the crew. You need to be calm and confident to lead them through this._

And so he was.

"BB, open a fleet-wide comm, and order defensive maneuver Sigma. Orient us so we're facing the hostiles, bring front shields up to full strength, and fire the number one MAC at a target of your choice. Let's see what these bastards are made of." ordered Lasky.

On the display table, Lasky watched as his ships executed a textbook defensive maneuver Sigma, splitting off in random directions up, down, and sideways, almost like a flower petal blooming.

The UNSC _Infinity_ rumbled as her huge engine cones flared and threw the ship into a heading that faced the enemy ships with speed that belied its massive size.

"Firing MAC. Target Lead Enemy Heavy." BB, backed up by the weapons officers at their consoles, targeted the lead enemy warship presumed to be the flagship based off of communications intercepts.

The forward MAC fired, sending a reverberating vibration throughout the ship, and Lasky watched the 600 ton depleted uranium slug rocket towards one of the bigger, triangle shaped ships at 14,000 kilometers a second.

The streaking shooting star like slug tore across the now closing 70,000 kilometers in under five seconds, and slammed into the lead enemy heavy capitol ship with a staggering force of nearly 3,000 megatons worth of kinetic energy.

Only the toughest of Covenant and retrofitted UNSC warships could survive a hit like that, and even then it would be likely crippled or at the least have its shields depleted.

The bow of the triangular warship flared with a familiar surge of electrical energy as the energy blister of a defensive energy barrier discharged in opposition to the MAC slug, flaring brightly as the ship was thrown a kilometer off of its course rather violently.

However the energy blister held.

_Damn they have shields, that would have been easy if they didn't. And they are at least comparable to ours._

He could have ordered another shot from the Infinity's three other miniaturized Super MACs , ( though not nearly as powerful as the stationary ODP based ones), salvos of Archer missiles or a barrage from the Infinity's secondary Railgun batteries, but he had a better idea.

"BB, contact the _Stalingrad _and find out if they still have those experimental EMP mines."

Though they were normally carried by ONI's Prowlers, all of the ships of the fleet had been spared no expense and were packed full of all of the weapons the UNSC could cram in them.

"Yes they do Captain, what is it you have in mind?" BB replied.

"Okay, relay this to all ships, here's what we're going to do. While the Infinity draws fire, the Stalingrad will perform a micro-slipspace jump right into the center of the enemy formation, release their EMP mine, and jump out immediately. All other ships will also perform micro-jumps, exiting above and below the enemy fleet. I want their exit from slipspace synchronized for 5 seconds after the detonation of the EMP, then all ships have permission to fire at will. Also I want Archer missiles and plasma torpedoes fired, right before you jump, and I want those coordinated with the micro-jumps to hit 5 seconds after the detonation as well. And fire our MAC at one of their smaller ships. Make it happen BB."

"Yes sir."

Another vibration rocked the ship, signaling MAC round being fired. This time, it hit one of the smaller, non-triangle ships, and gutted it from port to stern with ease. Lasky nodded with approval, and looked back at the display table.

"Ready to commence when you are sir." BB almost instantly replied.

Lasky allowed himself a small smile. It was times like these when one really appreciated the value of a shipboard AI. "Alright then. All forces, take take take. BB, divert all available shield power to starboard, and align us so that side is facing the enemy. Arm the starboard MAC cannon and Archer missile pods B1 through B-20, and fire when ready."

Lasky though for a moment, then said, "Update BB, following the EMP detonation, have all ships hold fire on this vessel." He pointed to the presumed flagship they had fired upon earlier.

"I want this one boarded."

* * *

**Bridge of the Star Destroyer _Accuser_, ****Hoth Space**

"Brace for impact!" someone yelled.

The first MAC round fired from the unknown ship struck the shields of the _Accuser_, and bounced off.

Though it did no real damage, Ozzel was thrown to the ground due to the sheer kinetic energy of the thing.

_Projectiles_, he thought. _How primitive_.

"Admiral! Shields are down to 44 percent strength!" Ozzel heard from one of the officers as the men pulled themselves back up into their seats as alarms wailed throughout the ship.

"We were knocked off course, firing counter thrusters." Another officer called out as Ozzel got himself back up.

Ozzel raised his brow in surprise. Forty-four percent? Maybe these projectiles weren't so primitive after all, it took a lot of energy to put such a dent in an Imperial Star Destroyer's shields. _It is of no matter,_ he thought._ None can withstand the might of the Empire_.

"Sir! The _Cataran_ has just been destroyed! In one shot!" exclaimed one officer, a little fear showing through his voice as on the main displays the icon of the Tartan class cruiser simply flickered off.

Granted that the _Tartan-class_ cruiser was one of the smaller ships used by the Imperial Navy, the fact that it was still destroyed in one shot was very unsettling. "Find out where that fire is coming from!" demanded Ozzel.

"It's the biggest ship sir, all other ships are maneuvering away at a flank speed. Wait, now it's turning its starboard side to us." said the sensors officer.

Ozzel snorted. Just more surface area for his ships to target. "I want all ships to focus fire on that ship, bring it down!" he yelled before another alarm wailed

"Missiles are being launched from every ship along with some kind of unidentified energy lances, estimated impact in twenty seconds for the missiles, twelve for the lances-"

"I don't care about the missiles," Ozzel interrupted, "our pulse lasers will take care of those, but what is this energy lance-"

"NEW CONTACT! Right off our port side!" screamed one bridge officer, as collision warning sirens started blaring throughout the bridge.

Ozzel looked, and sure enough there it was. One of the smaller angular ships was not a mile away from his Star Destroyer, and he instinctively recoiled, expecting to get hit.

He could clearly see the letters _STALINGRAD_ painted in white on the side.

_Basic, _he realized,_ could these unknowns be human ?And more importantly, how in the world did it get here? _

He was about to order the weapons officer to fire on it, when all of a sudden he saw open right in the middle of space a bright white circle of light, bordered by purple. Then the most remarkable thing happened.

The ship accelerated and disappeared right into it, followed by the things closing. Ozzel was so transfixed, that he didn't even notice the car-sized object that the destroyer had left behind, not that he could see if he wanted to.

The UNSC E5 High-Yield EMP Mine was designed with stealth in mind, covered in radar, infrared, and thermal reflective coating and painted a dark matte black and had seen years of service abourd ONI Prowlers, as with their stealth systems they were the only UNSC ships that could deploy them, before UNSC ships were given much more accurate slipspace drives.

The E5's purpose was to disrupt any electronic or energy based systems aboard spacecraft or other target for the maximum amount of time possible, and when it detonated amidst the Imperial vessels, it did just that.

Weapons were shut down, shield were lost, and engines were cut out, almost instantly transforming the Imperial ships from formidable warships that struck fear into their enemies, to no more than glorified life-support systems.

It was then when those tens of dozens of Archer missiles launched earlier and streaking towards the Imperials at high speeds found their targets. Against their now unshielded hulls, the results were devastating as they released their nuclear level directed shaped charge payload into the hulls of the Imperial warships and blew threw them with ease.

Large craters were formed as missiles exploded, entire compartments were blown off, secondary explosions rocked the ships as lucky missiles impacted munitions stores, while superstructures fractured and broke off, and reactors went critical, leaving nothing behind.

The few ships that were targeted with plasma torpedoes from the _Redemption _and the _Shadow of Intent_ fared no better, as the superheated material burned through durasteel plating and decks like a hot knife through butter. One plasma lance hit right in the middle on the port side of a _Victory-class_ Star Destroyer, cutting the ship clean in half and leaving nothing but two floating, explosively decompressing hulks.

What wasn't completely destroyed in the first volley was taken care of in the second by the UNSC and Separatist ships that now surrounding the Imperials.

The destruction of his fleet was not lost on Ozzel, who, bathed in the dull red of emergency lighting, got to watch the whole spectacle from his forward view port. Completely stunned by the fact that all of his vessels that were there not one minute ago were now gone, it took him several seconds to realize that he was still alive; his ship was not destroyed yet, though it had taken several of those missiles into its engine banks and main weapons systems for good measure, blowing our sections of the ship as it tumbled helplessly.

_Why would they take out all the other ships, and leave behind... oh_, he realized.

_That's why_.

He slowly turned back to his bridge crew, who looked up at him with expecting eyes. Not able to keep the quiver out of his voice he said, "Prepare to repel boarders."

* * *

**Bridge of the UNSC _Infinity, _Date Unknown, Location Unknown**

Lasky allowed himself a small moment of satisfaction, his plan had gone off without a hitch, and all of the hostile ships, save one, were floating in various pieces through space.

BB appeared in front and to the left of Lasky, and said, "Excellent work Captain, I guess that's one way to test out the new slipspace drives, but I'd like to inform you of some other things as well. The rest of our fleet has mobilized and is on their way here, I've told them to set up a defensive perimeter around us. No losses except for that the destroyer _Shearpoint_'s engines have malfunctioned, but she's docked to our Repair and Refit station _Lucky Day_, so she'll be operational again soon, and strangely, the Marathon cruiser _Blazing Sun_ is nowhere to be seen."

Lasky frowned upon hearing that. Even though he had a fairly large number of ships, the loss of a Marathon cruiser represented a significant reduction in combat power. While the flagship of this battle-group was the _Infinity_, cruisers like the _Blazing __Sun_ often were the ones to perform that task in other groups. Not to mention losing a whole battalion of marines and ODST's, thier support vehicles, and the 500 navy crewman.

He had faith in the _Sun_'s captain though, Vasily Ivanov. He was a good man, one of Lasky's close friends, and wherever they were, Ivanov would take care of his men.

BB continued, "Of more important notice however, during the battle I intercepted a ground-based communications from a General Rieekan of the 'Alliance to Restore the Republic.' We exchanged a few words, and I do believe you will want to speak with him. His transport is waiting just on the edge of the system, with an escort of single-ships. Those are all the announcements Captain, but if I may ask, what are you going to do with that Star Destroyer?"

"Star Destroyer?" Lasky asked, confused.

"Oh yes, sorry sir, that is what General Rieekan referred to them as." BB answered.

"Ah." Lasky said. "And to answer your previous question, I have just the thing in mind. BB?"

"Yes Captain?"

"Deploy the Spartans"


	3. Chapter 3: Accuser

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but all original content is mine.**

* * *

**Chapter 4: _Accuser_**

**Troop Bay of UNSC Pelican dropship_, _Ten minutes after destruction of Imperial Fleet, ****100 kilometers off the port side of Imperial Star Destroyer _Accuser_, Hoth Space**

Naomi thumbed the magazine release on the side of her BR55HB SR Battle Rifle, checked the magazine for any signs of deformation or oddities, and not finding any, slid it back into the receiver. Then she did it again. Pre-battle jitters. One would think that after 30 years of constant fighting, that she would have gotten over it, but she hadn't.

She looked around the interior of the Pelican dropship at her fellow Spartan-II's. They all had their own way of dealing with the anxiousness. Kelly chewed gum, she could sometimes hear the smack of it over the teams open comm. Linda constantly made adjustments to the ORACLE scope attached to her SRS99D-S2 AM Sniper Rifle, whether it needed it or not. And Fred? Fred slept. Naomi looked at him, sitting in the seat across from her, arms folded across his chest and head tilted down, the chin of his helmet touching his chestplate. How he could do that, she would never know.

"Two minutes to target." said the pilot over the intercom.

The flights of Broadsword interceptors had made brutally sure that the enemy didn't launch any craft to intercept them as one of the Frigates was stopped dead in front of the enemy ship, ready to take it out with a shot from its MAC or blow it apart with its Archers or Railgun batteries.

Kelly swallowed her gum, and nudged Fred to get him awake. Linda made one final adjustment, and patted the ORACLE lovingly, like a mother would a child. Naomi examined the magazine one more time, and with a sense of finality, gently slid it back into it's dock. The surviving Spartan-II's made up just one of the teams assigned with the initial boarding of the Imperial 'Star Destroyer'

_What a stupid name for a ship_, though Naomi. Also participating were eight squads of eight Spartan-IV's, and at the request of the Arbiter, a Spec-Ops team of eight Sangheili, and a Hunter pair. Fred had specifically asked Captain Lasky to keep the Spartan-II's together, saying that they'd fought together for so long that they had unparallelled battle chemistry.

"One minute." came the pilot.

Naomi went over the plan in her head one more time. The smaller Spartans and Elite teams would breach and clear both side hangars, while the other Spartan platoon and Hunter pair secured the ventral hangar. A couple of other teams would go EVA and breach through airlocks. Then the different Spartan and Elite teams would split off on their separate objectives, aimed at gaining total control of the ship in as little time possible.

But in order to do that, they needed schematics, which was why Blue-1, the Spartan-II's were tasked to insert BB into the _Accuser_'s systems ASAP. Once inside, BB, with constant help from one of Roland's copies, would determine locations of value, and dispatch the teams accordingly.

"Thirty seconds!"

_Speaking of BB, he's been awfully quiet._ Naomi thought. Sure, there had been the usual "No unnecessary mind-control or else I'll crush your data chip" banter between the two when BB interfaced with her neural interface, he'd been silent almost the whole ride over. As if sensing her concern, which he most likely could, due to his intimate connection with her bodies nervous system, BB spoke up, "Just wanted to give you a little calm before the storm."

Naomi, barely noticeable, nodded her head. She was getting used to working with BB in this way, instead of the ice-pick to the back of the head cold it usually was, inserting BB into her lace was now more a dull, ice pack cold.

"Twenty Seconds!"

The Spartans stood up and checked their weapons. A series of clicks sounded as safeties were disengaged. "Armor check" Fred ordered. He had been given the position of team leader by the other II's. Naomi blinked once, and a diagnostics of her armor systems appeared in the top left corner of the screen. Everything was green, from her shielding systems and reactive armor, to its built in thrusters and boosters and her suit's miniaturized fusion reactor.

Naomi flashed her green status light, and Kelly, Fred, and Linda did the same.

"Ten seconds!" yelled the pilot, "Be advised, drop zone is hot! Repeat, drop zone is hot!"

The seconds ticked by, and Naomi felt a change, the subtle tug of artificial gravity. _We must be inside the hangar_, she thought.

As if to confirm her observation, the 40mm Rotary cannon on the chin of the Pelican fired a short burst, sending a surge of vibrations through the dropship.

The firing stopped, and the troop-bay door swung open. The load-master, who was standing by the now open door, gestured out of the Pelican, yelling "Go! Go! Go!"

Blue-1 hopped off the edge of the bay, and Naomi's boots hit the deck. She looked at it for a split-second, reflective black, and newly polished by the looks of it. The Pelican, facing the inside of the hangar, deposited her forces facing the rectangular energy field separating the inside from the vacuum of space, in order to give them some protection coming out.

The Spartans turned and ran away from the Pelican, Kelly and Fred to the left, Linda and Naomi to the right at their usual superhuman speed.

With a quick glance, Naomi surveyed the scene in the hanger. There were several single-ships, two hexagonal wings with a spherical cockpit in the center, scattered about. One of them was missing a wing and burning, bodies in black armour laying about, probably a result of the previous cannon blast from the Pelican.

Out of the corner of her eye and on her suit's radar and scanners, she could see a Phantom entering the hangar.

_Good, the others are arriving_.

Crates and containers littered the area, creating makeshift cover. Eighty meters ahead at her two o' clock, two figures in white armor popped up from behind a hastily-erected barricade, brandishing black rifles in her direction.

Acting on pure instinct, she raised her in a blur of speed and pulled the trigger, her aim as true as always.

The electrothermal chemical reaction ignited by the small electrical charge ignited the advanced caseless propellant, turning it into a jet of pure plasma and gas that shot the three round burst of of 9.5X40mm High Powered Semi-Armor-Piercing rounds into the chest of the first one in excess of 1200 meters a second.

The effects surprised her.

The hypersonic rounds penetrated right through the armor, shattering it into so many pieces, and came out the other side, bringing parts of the man's heart, lungs, and spinal cord with it.

Bright red blood spurted out onto the floor and the armor of his comrade, a stark contrast to the pristine white. He crumpled, and his body fell to the ground, dead before it hit the floor.

A hand-sized bullet from Linda's sniper rifle impacted the head of the other soldier, taking it off at the neck, but not before the now-deceased man got off a shot from his rifle. A bolt of red energy sped towards Naomi's chest as the suit's threat tracker unnecessarily gave a warning and traced a line on her HUD to where the shot came from.

Adrenaline, now pumping furiously, combined with her augmentations and the MJOLNIR's power armor's processing matrix attached to her neaural uplink, caused time to slow down for Naomi.

Spartan Time.

The effects on the Supersoldiers were so dramatic the Master Chief had once been said to have "bitch slapped" an air to ground missile out of his way.

It was like the air had been replaced by a thick syrup. Linda was in the process of replacing her sniper rifle for a DMR, no doubt deciding that the 14.5X114mm rounds were to over-powered. She turned her attention back towards the energy bolt. It wasn't even halfway to Naomi yet. The soldier Linda had shot still had his arms up clutching his rifle, his body not yet realizing that it no longer had a central nervous system, while the other one had just made contact with the ground the ground.

Naomi effortlessly sidestepped in a blur of purple, and watched the bolt drift past her, as lazy as a butterfly. Once the danger had passed, time began to return to normal.

She joined Linda behind a pair of crates, and saw Fred and Kelly 20 meters to her left, also behind cover. Kelly popped out, fired a burst from her MA5C, and another white-clad soldier across the expanse of the hanger went down in a heap as the 7.62 hypersonic rounds tore through him just as effortlessly as the larger ones from Naomi's Battle Rifle.

By now, the Phantom had dropped off its troops, and the Sangheili Spec-Ops team joined the fight.

Blue orbs of superheated plasma intermixed with yellow tracer rounds and ruby-red laser bolts to make the air in the hangar a deadly display of color.

Over the team comm, Fred called out "Naomi, see if you can't find some sort of terminal from here"

All the while more white enemy soldiers fell to the combined fire of the Spartans and the plasma bolts of the now advancing Elites.

"Demon's, we will advance upon their left flank and draw their attention so you can infiltrate the construct." came the deep voice of the Sangheili commander as its comlink connected with Naomi's and the others.

"Acknowledged."

Guttural roars, mocking laughter, the whine of plasma, and the screams of dying men signified the Sangheili's advance.

Naomi stuck her head up, and did a quick scan of the room. _There_. On a wall to her left about 60 meters to her 10 o' clock, looked like a half-circle of waist-high computers. Naomi ducked back down and snatched a smoke grenade off of her belt. "I've located a terminal, give me covering fire."

Green status lights winked, and Naomi threw the smoke grenade over the crates. It exploded, sending black vision-obscuring smoke billowing throughout the hangar bay. The Spartan's were not affected however, as they switched to thermal vision, as if they needed to with their augmented vision.

The world switched to the dull colors of white with holographic outlines provided by her helmet's VISR system.

Naomi leapt over her crate, and sprinted for the terminal, reaching it in about two seconds, not even reaching her maximum speed of 60 kph. She heard extended bursts coming from Fred and Kelly's assault rifles, and Linda's DMR. Naomi had no cover, she was completely exposed. She would have to rely of the covering fire of her team to keep the enemy from taking potshots at her.

Skidding over to the terminals she spun through the air as she rounded a line of taller crates next to the terminals, her suit's trackers having identified the enemy's location.

The two troopers were cut down mercilessly as the 7 ft supersoldier spun through the air and landed on her feet before using a short boost from her suits boosters to rocket to the terminal to avoid another burst of emerald beams from across the deck before those too were silenced by her team mates.

Naomi fired a suppressive burst from her BR as she questioned, "BB, what do I have to do?"

"Just touch my chip to the terminal." He replied instantly.

She disengaged the data chip from her helmet, and touched it to the terminal. The bright blue center faded to clear, and over the comm Naomi heard BB say, "I'm in."

Naomi got back into cover, and Fred radioed, "Command, this is Blue-1, primary objective one has been completed, the box has been opened."

"Opened indeed," said BB, "Hmm, hold on, it seems that this ship also contains an AI, not as advanced as me of course. Oh, how quaint, he's trying to delete me. There we go, I've trapped the bugger behind his own firewall, I'll deal with him later. All in all though, this is quite a fascinating vessel. Anyway, I've locked down some of the heavier concentrations of resistance, and schematics are now being sent to your HUD's."

Sure enough, a layout of the hangar bay appeared in the top left corner of her HUD. There was a crackle in her ear, and Captain Lasky's voice came over the comm. "Blue-1, new orders: You and any teams in your immediate vicinity are to advance to and take control of the bridge. Once there, attempt to take any prisoners you can, but that is purely a secondary objective. Command out."

"New orders confirmed, we'll get it done command, Blue-1 out." replied Fred.

While the rest of his squad finished off the resistance in the hangar, Rola 'Fulsamee, the commander of the Spec-Ops team, strode over on his double-hinged legs towards Fred. "I have received orders to accompany you to the enemy bridge, it will be a great honor to fight alongside such accomplished warriors." he said.

Fred dipped his head in gratitude. "Likewise. Notify the rest of your squad, we're going silent."

'Fulsamee nodded, and activating a button on his harness, shimmered and disappeared, the rest of the Sangheili soon following suit. If one concentrated hard enough, they would see nothing more than a faint profile outline.

_Time to see if the Hurogok's are worth the amino-acids we're feeding them_, Naomi thought.

After much debate, the newly acquired Engineers were allowed access to the MJLONIR amour the Spartans wore, under strict supervision of course. One of the first things they did, and the most heavily requested by the Spartans, was the incorporation of active camouflage as standard.

Humanity had long since had optical camoflague since the early 21st century, however they relied primarily on cameras and adaptive materials and as such were hard to implement directly into the outer shell of the MJOLNIR, or any UNSC Marines battlesuits, for that matter; without taking away from the armor's integrity. Also with nearly all UNSC soldiers Helmets equipped with Thermal anyway it wasn't deemed as useful against military forces (with only Special Forces troopers equipped with them against Insurrectionalist), as the Covenant had found out the hard way many times during the war. However the camouflage they had now didn't compromise the MJOLNIR's armor and cut back on the thermal energy.

The Hurogok's and human scientists had applied the finishing touches not a month earlier, and it has been yet to be tested in combat.

Naomi blinked three times in the shape of a triangle, and the active camouflage came into effect. She raised her hands, and watched as the dark purple gauntlets turned invisible, at least as close as technology could make them. She smiled inside her helmet, and looked up towards the rest of her team. They too, had disappeared to almost nothing. She turned on her VISR as the HUD outlined them in friendly blue.

Over the comm, Fred said, "Let's get moving, BB?"

"I've marked the route on your schematics, just follow the waypoints. I'll open doors as you go."

On a door at the far side of the hangar, a waypoint appeared on Naomi's HUD. Fred waved his hand forward, signaled the inter-species team to move out. They proceeded in two columns, Kelly and Naomi spearheading the front, Linda and Fred bringing up the rear, and the Sangheili interspersed in the middle. They reached the door, and assumed breaching positions on either side.

BB counted down, "Opening in three, two, one."

The door slid open, and Kelly and Naomi rounded the corner into the corridor, rifles raised.

Nothing.

Green status lights flashed, and the team moved forward through the door. They continued this process of breaching and clearing rooms for about 10 minutes, however they encountered no resistance.

Over the comm, they occasionally heard other teams reporting small skirmishes, or objectives being completed. Though they never let their guard down, Naomi began to grow uneasy.

She was not the only one who was wary, as 'Fulsamee talked to Fred over the team comm, "Demon, my warriors grow uneasy, as do I. Something is not right, I can feel it."

Fred felt the same way, something was up. Over three decades of combat experience have taught him not to ignore that feeling, it had saved his life on many occasions. A sixth sense, per se. "I agree. Stay alert team, watch for ambushes."

Quiet as ghosts, and almost as invisible, they moved towards the next door.

* * *

In complete darkness, hidden away in a secret compartment not even listed on the schematics, 20 jet-black humanoid-droids lay dormant. The brainchild of Imperial General Rom Mohc, the Phase-1 Dark Trooper was designed to give Imperial forces an edge in ground engagements. Specializing in close quarters combat, they sported a two-foot long vibroblade integrated into their right arm, and a rectangular blast shield attached to their left forearm.

2.56 meters tall with an exoskeleton made of composite durasteel and a central nervous system of advanced fiber-optic cables coated in hardened plastoid, all controlled by a central AI, the Phase-I Dark Trooper was faster, stronger and more durable than any ordinary man. Then, a message was sent to every droid

_Priority communication, verification code 19A-74B-HHD3_

_Activate Activate Activate._

_Enemy commando's en route to primary bridge._

_Seek out and neutralize._

Twenty pairs of eyes turned blood-red

* * *

"Breaching." the door slid open, and Blue-1 rushed through.

Unlike the others, this door didn't lead into a corridor or hallway, instead opening into a rather large rectangular storage room. Several crates, boxes, and other storage devices were scattered about on the floor and against the walls, evidently having fallen over during the space battle.

"The door to continue to the bridge is on the other side of this room." said BB, as he marked the door with another waypoint.

The team picked their way through the maze of objects, occasionally checking behind suspicious-looking crates, always alert. They were about halfway through, when Fred suddenly stopped and raised his fist, a signal for the team to halt. They branched out, each facing a different way in order to cover every angle of approach.

Naomi also felt strange, she had butterflies in her stomach, the same one would get before an important performance. Over the comm, she asked Fred, "Do you feel it too?"

She saw Fred nod, and held up a single finger to his visor and pointed to his ear. _Be quiet, listen._

Naomi returned her attention back to her sector, and quickly checked her motion tracker. Twelve green dots, showing the position of her team and herself-_wait, what was that?_ She thought she saw a sliver of red, but it was gone. Naomi glanced around her, seeing nothing. Then the red dot appeared again, this time right on top of her! She quickly spun around in a circle, trying to locate the threat, and almost forgot to look up.

The last thing she saw was a pair of evil red eyes, and the thing was on her. It crashed into Naomi, throwing her to the ground, bringing her shields to half-strength and knocking her rifle out of her hand. She got a good look at the things face, gunmetal black, heavily armored, no mouth or nose, and those haunting red eyes. _A robot maybe?_

She then proceeded to punch the thing right in the jaw.

Her fist was a blur as years of training, advanced augmentations, genetic advantages, and the reactive crystalline layer of her armor helped to propel her hand to superhuman speeds.

Over the comm, she heard Fred yell, "AMBUSH! Look to the ceiling!"

Naomi's gauntlet impacted the robot's jaw, denting it, and forcing it a couple feet off of her, giving her the space to plant an armored boot right in the things midsection. With a mighty kick, the robot flew through the air, and landed a few meters away from her. Quick as a flash, Naomi dove towards her Battle Rifle a few feet away and rolled back up to a knee. By this time, the robot was also back on its feet, and rushing towards Naomi in a metallic blur of speed.

She leveled her rifle, and fired a three-round burst at the advancing droid. As if sensing what was coming, the robot raised its metal shield to protect its midsection. The three hypersonic rounds burrowed into the rectangular durasteel, making visible craters and sending a spiderweb of cracks through it, but not penetrating.

Before she could get off another burst, Naomi was within striking distance of the robots integrated sword-arm, and it raised its arm and brought it down in a vertical sweep, aiming to split Naomi in half.

Dropping her rifle in a flash, Naomi stood up out of her kneeling pose, and stepped forward, into the swing. She crossed her fore-arms in a cross-block, catching the blades on her shield. The mere force of the blow brought her shields down another quarter, and a shrill alarm sounded in her ear, telling her to let her shield recharge. That was time she didn't have however, and Naomi shucked the blade to her left, and grabbed just above the joint of the things elbow.

She twisted her grip outwards, causing the joint to face towards the inside of the robots body, then delivered a vicious open-handed blow to the elbow, forcing it out in a way it was never intended to go. The metal joint hyper-extended and shattered, leaving the droids sword-arm hanging by a few bent fiber-optic tendons.

With its primary method of offense now eliminated, the droid resorted to plan B. Hoping to catch Naomi off-guard, it swung its heavy durasteel shield at her upper chest in a horizontal sweep. However, hundreds of close-quarter fights have taught Naomi never to discount an enemies secondary weapon, and she was waiting for her opponent to bring the shield into play. She ducked under it, letting it pass by her head, and sprang up, stepping to the right and outside the droid.

Naomi quickly chopped the other elbow of the robot, and swept its feet out from under it, sending it crashing to the ground. For the coup de grâce , she drew her M6G sidearm, and fired a double tap into the robot's head.

At near point-blank range, the 12.7X40mm M225 Semi-Armor Piercing High Explosive rounds penetrated into the droids cranium and promptly exploded, opening the head up like a watermelon, sending fragments of metal, cable, and AI datachip pieces bouncing off her now recharging shield. The droid collapsed, broken wires in its neck sparkling with electricity.

Total time since initial engagement: 5.72 seconds

Naomi snatched up her battle rifle from the ground, and put a burst through the head of droid in the process of leaping towards her, shearing half of its head off. She sidestepped, and the droid crashed to the ground, critically damaged. Putting three more rounds into its metal skull, Naomi ended its existence for good. Looking for another target, she surveyed the ongoing battle.

Kelly was dismantling a droid with a series of lightning-fast strikes, so fast that even with Naomi's enhanced reflexes she could barely see them.

Fred had tackled a droid to the ground, and had his M6 buried under its chin, about to erase its programming the hard way.

Linda had perched herself on a couple of crates, and with her trademark incredible accuracy, was put a 14.5X114mm sniper round right between the eyes of one of the Dark Troopers.

'Fulsamee, energy swords in both hands, dodged a swipe from a trooper, then cleaved right down the middle of its waist with one of his swords, the other then slicing horizontally, leaving the droid in three smoking pieces on the ground.

Another Sangheili armed a plasma grenade, shoved it into the face of one Dark Trooper, and kicked it with a hooved foot into another, sending them crashing into a wall.

The droid clawed at his face with both its arms, hoping to dislodge it, but to no avail, and the grenade detonated in a blast of blue, superheated plasma, disintegrating both troopers back into their molecular elements.

The other Sangheili were similarly engaged, but one warrior was surrounded by three droids, and becoming quickly overwhelmed. Vibroblades clashed against his shields, and the energy field soon dissipated, leaving him exposed. One sword sliced clean through his armour and flesh, taking the Elites left arm off at the shoulder. The Sangheili let our a guttural roar of pain, and brought up his plasma rifle in his remaining arm and fired a burst into the amputator's head, turning the metal into molten slag.

Another slash severed his right leg at the knee, and the Sangheili collapsed. With a final scream, "I die with honor today! My ancestors will be proud!" the warrior activated a plasma grenade, and him and his assailants disappeared in flash of blue.

The other Sangheili, upon seeing one of their own perish, let out a deafening roar, a battle-cry so loud that it shook the floors and walls. Enraged, the Spec-Ops team redoubled their attack, fighting with such intensity that even a Spartan might hesitate to engage them.

Over the comm, 'Fulsamee yelled, "Demons! Advance on to the bridge without us, my team will take care of these abominations! We will avenge the sacrifice of our brother!"

Fred nodded, gathered the rest of his Spartans, and sprinted towards the door at the other end of the room. As they were waiting for the doors to open, Fred looked back towards the battle, and caught a glimpse of 'Fulsamee punching a Dark Trooper right in the head, decapitating it and sending it flying.

The door opened, and the Spartan-II's rushed through.

* * *

**Bridge of the Imperial Star Destroyer _Accuser_, 10 minutes after boarding, Hoth Space**

"Admiral, we've lost contact with the Dark Troopers, confirmed four enemy kills." said a bridge officer.

Ozzel, already on edge, all but screamed, "What! Impossible! How could twenty of the Empire's most advanced pieces of technology be completely eliminated by 12 men! And with only four kills!"

The officer, looking somewhat sheepish, replied "It's true sir."

Ozzel fumed for a moment, then asked "And we're still locked out of the system?"

"Unfortunately sir, some kind of advanced Artificial Intelligence has taken complete control of the systems we had left, and It rewrote the security codes. Our shipboard AI isn't responding, and my keyboard isn't even registering."

The Admiral was astonished. _An AI that can completely take over a Star Destroyer?_ _And ours didn't even stop it. __Even we don't have anything that can take over a ship. Maybe I shouldn't have underestimated these new enemies..._

Ozzel was about to go into deeper thought, when a resounding clang was heard throughout the bridge, coming from the large blast door sealing off the bridge from the rest of the ship.

The bridge guard of six stormtroopers pointed their E-11 blaster rifles towards the door, and a few bridge crew drew their personal blaster pistols, including Ozzel. The crew took cover as best the could, which there wasn't much of due to the open nature of the bridge.

There was another clang, and Ozzel steeled himself. Strangely, he felt calm, composed. _If this is where I shall die, I will __not__ die a coward_, he thought.

There was an eerie moment of silence, then the heavy blast doors exploded among its edges, dropping the metal to the floor with a resounding thud, clouds of smoke obscuring the doorway.

Ozzel and the bridge crew fired their blasters into the opening, sending red laser bolts screeching into the smoke, not knowing if they hit anything though.

Then, suddenly, Ozzel saw a pipe-like metal device scuttle across the floor towards the middle of the bridge.

The thing caught the attention of most of the crew, and after a second, it exploded.

There was a rush of sound, like rolling thunder, and the brightest flash of light he had ever seen, and then there was nothing.

Ozzel collapsed to the ground, ears bleeding from ruptured eardrums, eyes closed in a vain attempt to recover from the flashbang. He opened his mouth to scream, but couldn't hear anything. He tried to open his eyes, only to see a stormtrooper's arm shattered from a bullet, bloody fragments landing on his uniform, and then a round impact his visor, blowing straight through his helmet, painting the wall behind him with plastic, blood, and brain matter.

_A projectile did that?_, was the last thing he thought as he blacked out again.

Ozzel awoke a minute later, still lying on the ground, he looked around, eyes somewhat working.

Several of his bridge crew were dead, along with all the stormtroopers, plastoid armor shattered in several places and painted with the crimson color of red.

Projectiles could be so much more brutal than blasters.

Ozzel finally got a good look at the forces that had stormed his bridge.

There were four of them, all of them huge by human standards, each about the size of an adult wookie.

They were all wearing what looked like olive-green power armor, one wearing dark purple, slightly bulky, but not overly so. Their boots clanked on the metal deck, giving Ozzel the impression of great weight, yet they moved with such fluidity and grace that one would think the suits were as light as a feather. He saw a glimpse of an orange field crackle over one of the soldiers, not unlike the shields of a warship.

_Personal shielding? No wonder our forces had a hard time damaging them._

Ozzel turned his head to the left, and saw his blaster a few inches away from his hand. He reached towards it, but an armored boot kicked it out of the way and sent it skittering across the deck. He looked forward, and saw one of the commandos looming over him.

"Now now," the soldier, with a man's voice, said, "We wouldn't want that to happen, would we?"

Ozzel looked up into the mans orange visor, only seeing a reflection of himself.

The armoured man lifted his foot, and Ozzel's world was cast into darkness

* * *

After making sure he hadn't killed the man with his boot to the face, Fred stood back up and looked over the bridge.

Naomi was policing the various small arms scatted around, Kelly was binding the wrists of those who were still alive with zip-ties, while Linda was unceremoniously dumping the bodies of the dead into one of the sunken-in pits on either side of the central walkway.

Fred looked back down at the unconscious Ozzel. He might be useful, his uniform looked to be the one of a higher-ranking officer, more polished and decorated than the others they've seen.

Satisfied, Fred activated his comm. "This is Blue-1 to command, primary and secondary objectives have been accomplished."

Captain Lasky's voice came over channel, "Roger, secondary teams have been dispatched, ETA in five mikes." He paused then added, "Good job teams, we have the ship."


	4. Chapter 4: Alliances

**A/N: A lot less action, a lot more plot. Please review, they are very much appreciated.**

**Enjoy**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but all original content is mine. **

* * *

**Chapter 4: Alliances**

**Bridge of the UNSC _Infinity,_**** Thirty Minutes After Completion of Boarding Operation, ****Hoth Space**

Hands clasped behind his back, Thomas Lasky stared out the forward viewscreen into the inky blackness of this unknown space

He sighed, reminiscing from years past. _I wish the Chief was here,_ the Admiral thought. His quiet stoicism and confident demeanor would do wonders to calming the men in these uncertain times, just the knowledge that he was in the fleet would have changed the mindset for the better.

When Osman discovered the wormhole, the Master Chief, along with another squad of Spartan-IV's, were deployed to the other side of UNSC territory investigating a newly discovered Forerunner installation. By the time the fleet was assembled, the Chief still had half the distance to go, even with the new slipspace drives. The top brass had decided that the fleet had to move _now_, Chief or no Chief, and so they did.

Lasky looked to the left at the Star Destroyer they had captured in the operation that had just concluded.

Scores of engineers, humans and Huragok, hovered over the hull in EVA suits, analyzing weapons and materials, and repairing the breaches in the hull caused by Archer missile impacts in the previous battle.

Pelicans ferried men and supplies to and from the _Infinity_ and the _Accuser_, and assortments of foreign weapons and vehicles have started to pile up in the _Infinity_'s various landing bays.

There were a few vehicles that would have to stay on the _Accuser_ though, like these gigantic four-legged walkers, almost twenty meters tall.

Lasky would meet with the scientists and tech specialists examining them later though, right now he had more important things to attend to.

Number one being where the hell they were.

Upon gaining control of the enemy bridge, BB was inserted into the mainframe, and proceeded to acquirer and categorize data to his core matrix's content.

Apparently, the _Keyes_ battle-group had been transported to an entirely different galaxy.

BB had also said that the fleet of ships that they had so thoroughly dismantled was actually part of a galactic empire that spanned thousands of worlds.

_That maybe could be bad_, thought Lasky, however he felt justified for attacking as he was engaged first.

In addition to this, there were also thousands of alien species inhabiting this galaxy, including humans, and they were all connected by trade and a central government.

"Government" maybe wasn't the right word though.

According to records this "Galactic Empire" ruled its worlds with an iron fist, and its citizens had almost no rights.

And to top it all off, it was ruled by an almost despotic dictator who called himself the "Emperor"

But Lasky was going to find out himself though, and he had two likely candidates to do so: the Imperial officers that they had captured, and General Rieekan they had waiting outside of the fleet picket line.

Lasky unclasped his arms, straightened out his uniform, and proceeded down to the brig.

* * *

**UNSC _Infinity _Brig, Forty**** Minutes After Capture Of _Accuser, _****Hoth Space**

Kendal Ozzel opened his eyes, and all he saw was a bright light.

The last thing he remembered was his bridge being boarded, and the bottom of an armoured boot.

His eyes finally came into focus, and saw that the light was coming from a single lamp hanging from the ceiling.

He was sitting in a chair, and there was a metal table in front of him.

Ozzel tried to move his hand, and found that his wrists were handcuffed to the arms of the chair, and it was bolted to the ground.

Oddly enough, his head didn't hurt anymore, and he thought he felt a bandage on his forehead.

There was a door on the other end of the room, and almost as soon as he looked at it, it opened.

A man walked in, armour clad, bulky gray rifle in his hands, but not one of the ones that stormed his bridge and killed his men.

He stopped on the opposite side of the room, and looked back towards the door, motioning to it.

Another man stepped in, and the soldier saluted, which the other man returned.

_That's not much different from what we do_,Ozzel thought.

He was wearing a light gray uniform with a golden star above four golden bars on both of his sleeves. There was also some sort of protective piece on his left shoulder, and a holster on his right hip, no doubt holding some kind of pistol. He was clean-shaven, with short brown air and eyes, and had a air of confidence.

He sat down in a chair across the table, and leaned forwards on his elbows towards Ozzel.

He looked at Ozzel for a moment, lips pursed, than leaned back in his chair, hands clasped in his lap.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Admiral Kendal Ozzel, Imperial Navy, service number 182-438-9880B." he replied.

The man opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it, brows furrowed, as if confused our alarmed by something.

After a few seconds, the man spoke, "I'm Thomas Lasky, captain of the ship your on, the UNSC _Infinity_, and I have a few questions to ask you."

_UNSC? I've never heard of them before_, _although if this man says he is a captain, maybe we can be civilized._ Ozzel thought. "If you don't mind, I have some questions as well." Ozzel said to Lasky.

Lasky nodded towards Ozzel, "You first." he said.

Ozzel cleared his throat. "First of all, what is this UNSC? What system are you from? I find it hard to believe that the Empire hasn't made contact with such a body, especially one as seemingly advanced as you."

Lasky got out of the chair and started to walk around the small room. "The UNSC is an acronym for the United Nations Space Command, the branch in charge of all the armed forces of the United Earth Government."

"Earth? I've never heard of a system with that name." Ozzel said, a bit confused.

"Yes, I was going to get to that part," said Lasky. He stopped pacing at the side of the table across from Ozzel, and placed his hands on it, leaning on them. "You see, we're not from around here. In fact, we're from none of the systems that our AI has been able to gleam from your datatables."

Ozzel bowed his head, suddenly deep in thought. _Not from any of our systems? Could there be other systems we haven't cataloged yet? That's highly unlikely, considering the fact that this galaxy's been being explored for millennia. What if- could they be extra-galactical? But what are the odds of another race of humans evolving almost the same as us in a completely different galaxy?_

As if reading his thoughts, Lasky said, "We seem to be from a completely different galaxy and time period."

Ozzel let that sink in. If so, he might just have provoked an inter-galactic war with an unknown power, who is at least or even more so technologically advanced that their own. Suddenly Ozzel felt very small.

Little did he know that Captain Lasky was having similar feelings.

Lasky continued, a little edge in his voice. "I'd also like to know, Admiral, why you found it necessary to so quickly destroy one of my vessels. It wasn't even five minutes since we first arrived near your fleet, and already you had blasted one of my ships to pieces!"

"We tried to communicate with you, I sent a very clear warning to stay out of Imperial affairs. We thought you were Rebel reinforcements" Ozzel weakly replied.

"Our comms were down... _Admiral_." said Lasky, the contempt showing in his voice. "And what is this 'Alliance to Restore the Republic? Is that what your _affairs_ were about?

Ozzel frowned. Not only had he alienated this new group, but now this unknown power was in communication with the rebel scum as well. _Blast_. "Yes, these rebels are the Rebel Alliance, an insurrectionist group that's popped up over the last few years. We were in the process of invading their mane base of operations when your ships showed up, in fact I probably still have men on the surface right now. This was to be the final strike, the one that would end the Rebellion and their threat to galactic order!"

Now it was Lasky's turn to frown. "Order? You call the terrorizing of hundred of worlds order? The whole galaxy is under the iron fist of your _Empire_, and any attempt to change anything for the better is met with government violence!"

He continued on, saying "If you could even call what you have in place a government, the legislative bodies have no power, and the entire galaxy is ruled by a single man! That preposterous!"

Ozzel glared at Lasky, "Where are you getting this information?"

"A certain General of the Rebel Alliance seems to know a lot about your Empire, and that's just what he told me in our brief conversation over the comm." said Lasky. "In fact, I'm going to have a meeting with him in about..." he looked at his watch, an antiquated Rolex, mechanical hands still ticking, "ten minutes."

Lasky turned to the soldier standing in the corner. "Corporal, please escort Mr. Ozzel back to his cell please."

Turning to Ozzel, he said, "Maybe we can continue this conversation at a later date, providing you remain cooperative, of course."

Lasky then walked out of the room, and the guard unshackled Ozzel, and took him by the elbow back to his cell.

* * *

Lasky boarded one of the tram cars that ran along the ship, and turned towards the holographic display pedestal set along the side.

"Roland?"

"Yes Captain?" came the _Infinity's_ resident AI as he materialzed on the pedestal.

"Direct General Rieekan and his escort to land in Hangar Bay Primary, I will be there shortly."

"Yes sir, right away." Roland replied.

"And is BB snooping around here?" Lasky asked.

BB appeared on the pedestal next to Roland, his plain cubic appearance contrasting greatly with Roland's 19th century aviators outfit.

"I'm ONI Captain, when am I not snooping?" said BB.

"Good point. BB, notify Osman and her gang to re-embark on the _Port_ _Stanley_, I might have a mission for them soon. You go too BB."

"Of course Captain." came the response from BB as he winked out, Roland soon following suit.

The tram car came to a halt, and Lasky stepped out, and followed the signs to the hangar bay.

When Lasky arrived, he walked into one of the most expansive rooms aboard the _Infinity_.

Hangar Bay Primary was a colossal room, large enough to house and entire _Paris-class_ Heavy Frigate, which on occasions, it had.

Although right now, the bay was relatively empty, the Broadsword, Sabre, Longsword, and Pelican squadrons it usually was home to were out on patrol or other assignments. The _Port Stanley_ was docked on the far-side of the bay, supplied being ferried into it by men and automated machines.

In the middle of the other side of the bay were three people waiting for Lasky and the Alliance members.

Sara Palmer, commanding officer of all the Spartan-IV's throughout the fleet, stood tall and proud in her MJOLNIR armour, helmet clipped onto her belt, black body-suit reaching up to her chin.

Next to her was General Mason, commander of all UNSC Marine Corps detachments, and Colonel Tarkov, officer in charge of the ODST's.

Representing ONI was BB, who's dark black cube was floating in lazy circles around the hangar.

Also present was Majestic squad, a team of Spartan-IV's, serving as a guard.

Upon seeing Lasky, Palmer came to attention, gave a perfect salute, and yelled "Officer on deck!"

The other members present followed suit, and even BB fell in line, his avatar floating at around head-level.

Lasky returned the salute, "At ease."

BB floated over to Lasky. "Before the good General makes his arrival, there is something that I need to do."

Lasky saw Palmer start to smile a bit through BB's holographic form, and the captain asked, "BB, what is this about?"

If a floating cube with no easily discernible features could seem to straighten up, BB did so.

"Thomas Lasky, under the powers granted to me by Admiral Margaret Parongosky as per UNSC Code 19-28C, Section 4, Article 8, I am authorized to deliver promotions to certain personnel under emergency circumstances. As I'm sure you would agree, being deposited in a different galaxy makes the emergency chapter in my book, so without further adue," BB's box dipped a little in a sign of respect.

"Congratulations, Admiral."

The three officers present saluted again, and Palmer now had a full-blown grin on her face, Mason smiling as well. Even Tarkov had a corner of his mouth turned up, a rare show, Lasky had learned.

Lasky saluted back, and Palmer stepped forwards, the sleeve insignia of an Admiral, four silver stars, in her hands.

Lasky took it, and replaced the gold bars of Captain on his sleeves with the silver stars of an Admiral.

While most people upon receiving such a promotion would be glowing, Lasky thought he could feel a new weight settling on his shoulders.

There were no if, and's, or but's about it, Lasky was now the one man in charge of the whole battle-group and all of its assets. The lives of every single man, woman, and alien throughout the fleet were now in his hands.

Lasky new he would rise to the challenge though, he had to, he wouldn't let his people down.

The new Admiral was interrupted from his thoughts by an announcement from BB.

"Admiral, the Alliance vessels will arrive in ten seconds."

Lasky stepped in line with Palmer, Mason, and Tarkov, and they turned towards the selective plasma field separating the hangar from the hard vacuum of space, waiting.

Sure enough, after ten seconds, five ships passed through the barrier, and hovered above the deck for a moment before settling on landing struts.

The ship in the middle was larger than the other four, maybe twice the size of a Pelican. It resembled a rectangular prism, with the front face curving almost like a snowplow, viewports near the top. There were two short, stubby wings on either side of the ship on the back, with what looked like engines on top of them. Lasky could see no weapons, so the ship was most likely a transport.

The other four ships, Lasky instinctively knew were fighting vessels. They were a little shorter than a Sabre, and had a long, thin nose that made up almost ¾ the length of the ship. The back fourth contained the cockpit, wings and engines. There were four wings that branched off of the ship, two on each side, and they made sort of an X-shape. However, before they landed, the two wings came together, forming more of a single wing. In terms of armament, there were four thin pipes coming off the tips of each wing, and they tapered off after a few meters into a point, rimmed by a kind of focusing dish.

_Maybe the same type of laser technology that was mounted on those larger ships, but downscaled? _thought Lasky.

With a hiss, a ramp started to lower from the bottom of the larger transport. The angular cockpits of the X-shaped fighters also popped open.

From the transport came a man in his mid to late 50's, dressed in dark tan pants and tunic. His dark black hair and beard were mostly turned gray, and he looked weary, blue eyes sunken back into his head. Yet, he had an air of confidence around him, the kind that could only be acquired through experience.

_He must be the General Rieekan_, thought Lasky.

Out of the smaller ships came four pilots, all dressed in bright orange jumpsuits, black boots, with large spherical helmets, and what looked like a life-support system on their chest. They all took off their helmets and put them back in their cockpit, then formed up behind Rieekan.

The General stepped forward, as did Lasky, and they met halfway.

Rieekan extended his hand, and Lasky briefly hesitated, then shook it.

_These humans are more like us than I thought,_ realized Lasky.

"General Carlist Rieekan of the Alliance to Restore the Republic." said Rieekan.

"Admiral Thomas Lasky of the United Nations Space Command. Good to finally meet you General."

"Likewise Admiral. Allow me to introduce you to part of Rogue Squadron." Rieekan gestured towards each one of his pilots. "Rogue-5, Tycho Celchu, Rogue-3, Wedge Antilles, Rogue-2, Zev Senesca, and Rogue-1, Luke Skywalker."

Lasky dipped his head in acknowledgment, and gestured towards his own men. "That's Colonel Tarkov, General Mason, and Commander Palmer. And that's Majestic squad over there."

He pointed to the group of Spartans, faces unreadable through their reflective Rieekan was intimidated by the supersoldiers, than he was doing a good job hiding it. The Alliance pilots however, were a different story, and they viewed the Spartan's with awe, and a little, fear, showing on their faces.

Lasky continued, "Now if you'll follow me General, then we can start to really talk."

* * *

They all took seats around the conference table, aside from Commander Palmer, who elected to stand.

Lasky got right down to business, "So tell me General, what is this 'Alliance to Restore the Republic?"

"Well, as our name suggests, we are an alliance of citizens that have split from the Galactic Empire, hoping to restore the galaxy to the Republic which came before it. We know the atrocities that the Empire has committed, and are determined to overthrow the corrupt government and install one that actually gives power to the people of the galaxy, instead of a few, and mostly evil, men. The Empire has tried to dismiss us as a mere annoyance, but we're much bigger than they give us credit for. We have a decent-sized fleet, and had a permanent base, the first in a while, before the Imperials showed up earlier. I have to thank you greatly, if it wasn't for your defeat of the Imp fleet, than we would have lost a lot more people in the evacuation. We've got good men and woman, we're just trying to fight for what we think is right."

Lasky could identify with the man, being outnumbered and outgunned, always on the run.

"What are some of the atrocities that you refer to, General?" asked Lasky.

Rieekan pulled a tablet out of his tunic, pressed the screen a few times, and slid it over the table to Lasky.

Lasky looked at the image, and asked Rieekan confused, "It's just an asteroid belt?"

Rieekan nodded slowly, and Lasky could see the grief in his eyes.

"It wasn't always an asteroid belt Admiral, not three years ago, that was a planet, teeming with life, home to millions of people." said Rieekan.

"What happened?" asked Lasky, although he had a sinking feeling he already knew the answer.

Anger showing in his voice, Rieekan softly said, "The Empire happened, Admiral. They destroyed the planet, with no warning or reason, other than to make a point that they could. There were no survivors, aside from natives that were off-planet at the time."

_Jesus, it's like the goddamn Covenant all over again._ "How would they be able to do that?" Lasky asked.

Rieekan gestured for the tablet again, and Lasky gave it to him.

The General pressed a few more things, and then gave it back. This time, the screen showed schematics and statistics for a spherical space station. According to the diameter measurement he saw, the thing was as large as a small moon. And while not an expert in explosives, Lasky could figure out that the power it's main weapon could put out would be more than significant to destroy a planet.

"We've had similar experiences of destruction on a planet-wide scale." said Mason, quietly.

Rieekan pointed to two of his pilots present, Wedge Antilles and Luke Skywalker if Lasky remembered correctly. "If it wasn't for the actions of these men, specifically this one," he pointed to Skywalker, "We would have been next."

"How so?" asked Palmer.

"Three years ago, the Death Star, that's what the station was called, had located our base and was planning to destroy the moon we were on. However, we had acquired intelligence that showed a key structural weakness, and using this information, Skywalker was able to get past the defenses and destroy the station."

Lasky's respect for the young blonde-haired man went up greatly. Anyone who could penetrate the defenses of such a well protected station, destroy it, and still get out alive must have been a remarkable pilot.

He knew of one of his pilots that Lasky thought would like to meet Skywalker, only if he could get her out from underneath her Sabre, of course.

Lasky looked around at all of those present, then turned his gaze towards General Rieekan. "Forgive me if I offend you General, but I think it's safe enough for me to say that your real reason for meeting with me was to try to gain my battle-groups help for your Alliance. I'm sure you can understand the hesitancy of my wanting to get involved in a galactic war, especially against such a powerful opponent, and with only a limited number of forces. Under any other circumstances, I would say that we would have no reason to intervene, especially considering that this isn't our fight. However, this Empire has shed the blood of my men, and that is something that I don't take lightly. Until we find a way back to our own time and place, it would be beneficial to at least have one friend in this new galaxy. I've discussed with my other commanders, and we propose a temporary truce between the UNSC and the Alliance to Restore the Republic."

Rieekan took a moment, then said, "I'll have to finalize the formalities with the Alliance heads, but as far as I'm concerned, I accept. And admiral, our formal name can be a mouthful to say, most of us just call it the Rebel Alliance instead."

Rieekan held out his hand, and Lasky shook it.

"I look forward to working with you Admiral."

* * *

**Bridge of the UNSC _Blazing Sun, _Location Unknown**

Captain Vasily Ivanov placed his thick hands on the cold metal of the bulkhead, and pushed himself up.

In a distinct and heavy Russian accent, Ivanov yelled "SITREP! What happened?"

Joe, the _Sun_'s resident AI, materialized on the holographic pedestal next to the Captain's chair. "To put it simply sir, it seems that we ain't where we're supposed to be.", he said in a heavy southern drawl.

Joe was rather unique for an AI. His chosen avatar resembled one of a twentieth-century era American football player, right down to grass and mud stains on his plain white uniform. Unlike most AI's who tended to constantly flaunt their vast knowledge and expertise, Joe tended to be very down to earth and straightforward.

Ivanov has learned to appreciate that, and in the two years Joe's been part of the ship, Ivanov has come to trust the AI, and regarded him as a member of the crew, same as anyone else.

"Systems report." Ivanov said.

From the engineering console, Mika Hikowa, a twenty-two year old female second lieutenant fresh out of the academy, responded, "Main and secondary reactors green, and hull integrity is good, but the slipspace drive is offline, a team is checking it out now."

Ivanov looked over at the weapons station, towards his old friend First Lieutenant Tom Hanson. The two had been together for 15 years during Human-Covenant war, aboard Ivanov's first command, the _Charon_-class light frigate Interminable. As Ivanov's competence as a commander earned him higher posts, Hanson had been with him every step of the way. They were also the same age, a sprightly forty-three.

Considering himself an artist of sorts, Hanson prided himself as being incredibly accurate and efficient with ships weapons systems, almost as much so as an AI. He was deadly with a MAC cannon, being able to constantly hit targets at maximum range.

Hanson reported in, "MAC-1 is at 90 percent power, MAC-2 at 40 percent, and both are charging steadily. All Archer missile pods are operational, as are the helilical rail-guns. Both Sabre squadrons and the Longsword squadrons are ready to deploy."

Lieutenant Jacob Brown, the sensors officer, said "Sensors are back online, running a scan of the area now."

Thirty-five, Brown was quiet and kept to himself, and rarely talked outside of what was necessary. He had good reason though; Brown had lost his wife and three daughters when the Covenant glassed Eradinus-II. He had never been the same since then, and if one looked into his eyes, there was a deep grief, and even hatred. He was one of those who didn't take the alliance with the Sangheili well. Brown didn't let his personal feeling affect his performance though, so Ivanov saw no reason to keep him off the bridge crew. That didn't mean however, that he didn't worry about him.

Joe piped up, "Sir, I can't detect any of the other ships in the fleet, we're on our own. Also, we're in a system with a large gas giant and a B-1 class star. There's an earth-like moon farthest away from the gas giant 200,000 km to starboard. This system doesn't match with any of our records."

"Life readings on the moon?" Ivanov asked.

"Yep, a fair amount too."

Ivanov put a hand to his chin, his thick black eyebrows furrowed in thought.

_So here we are, no idea of our location, cut off from the rest of the fleet, and to top it off our slipspace drives are disabled. Who knows how long it would take to make repairs to the FTL drive, we could be stuck here for a while. If so needed, that terrestrial moon could serve as a potential re-supply base for consumables. It's not human, at least any from our worlds, or else we would have picked up sensor reading, nor covenant, they would be more industrialized. _

"Joe, put us on a course to orbit that moon, I want a survey done. Twenty-five percent burn, keep it easy on the engines. And get me a status report on the slipspace drives." said Ivanov.

The stars rotated as the _Blazing Sun_ oriented herself towards the planet, and the deck gently shuddered under Ivanov's feet.

Hikowa put a hand to her ear, no doubt getting a report from her comlink, and slowly frowned. She turned towards Ivanov and said, "Captain, the techs are saying that the drive is completely offline, there was a critical malfunction in the cyclic particle accelerators, it's almost melted. There's no way to repair it, it would have to be replaced."

Ivanov openly frowned at that one. No slipspace drives meant no getting anywhere fast. They could be stuck in this system for a long time.

"The planet will be in visual range in 20 seconds Captain." said Brown.

"Good, bring it up on the holotable when it is." said Ivanov.

They waited, watching the small planet grow ever closer.

"We're in range, bringing it up on the screen." said Joe.

A holographic representation appeared on the holotable, numbers and statistics floating around on the side. Joe popped up on the side, and started talking.

"This moon is 4,900 km in diameter, primarily forests, with a few deserts, mountains, and lakes. The moon's about eight percent water, way less than earth."

There was a pause, and Joe continued, "Sir, I'm picking up a few large concentrations of life readings, separated by some large distances. In one I'm picking up almost a million separate readings. There's also a medium-sized lake next to a 40 km square open space of land. It slopes gently upwards on all but three sides, and the other is bordered by a mountain range. I thought it would make the ideal forward base."

Ivanov surveyed it further, than nodded. "Put us in a geosynchronous orbit over that spot, and prepare a firebase to be sent down. I want ODST's sent down on the first pelicans, no drop pods this time."

The bridge bustled to work as crew at their consoles hurried to send out orders.

Over the noise, Ivanov said, "And Joe?"

The AI popped up, a quizzical look underneath his helmet.

"Send Gunnery Sergeant Buck up here."


	5. Chapter 5: Endor

**Authors Note: So here it is, chapter 5. As of right now, this story has over 5,000 views, 46 followers, and 31 favorites, which is just awesome, especially considering that this is my first fic and not even a month old. I'm really thankful for all the support I've been getting from you guys (some of your reviews have given me some major confidence boosters), it's what gives me the inspiration to keep going with this story.**

**As always, please review, I love to hear criticism, good or bad, it's what helps makes this story the best it can be.**

**Special shoutout to my betas Sharnorasian Empire and SpaceCowboy2013, thanks a lot for your input and suggestions**

**Hope you enjoy, and have a happy and safe Thanksgiving.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but all original content is mine.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Endor**

**UNSC _Marathon_-class Cruiser _Blazing Sun, _****One hour after slipspace malfunction, ****Unknown habitable moon**

Captain Ivanov looked down at the holotable, watching Alpha Base undergo construction on the landing site they had identified earlier.

Joe walked around the edge of the table, and after a couple of seconds of analysis, said "Looks like she's comin' along just fine Cap'n."

Ivanov nodded his head. He had to give credit to the marine engineers for being able to establish the firebase so quickly.

The central command post had already been placed underground beneath the main structure, and per-fabricated buildings that would house troops and equipment were spread out around it. Pelican, Darter, and Albatross transports were ferrying down men, vehicles, and supplies from the Blazing Sun. A motor pool and an airpad were in the process of being built, which would service _Sun_'s ground aircraft and vehicles.

Three lines of interconnecting trenches were being dug by earthmovers on the perimeter, which would make up the base's primary line of defense.

Marines assigned to guard duty were busy setting up mortar pits, machine gun nests, heavy weapons emplacements, and sniper towers in and around the trenches.

Anti-air missile and gun batteries were interspersed throughout the base, effectively creating a no-fly zone for any would-be hostile aircraft. Also aiding was a squadron of SkyHawk air superiority fighters flying top cover in forms of alternating figure-eights above the base.

M808 Scorpions, SP-42 Cobras, and M12G1-Gauss Warthogs were being maneuvered into firing pits in the trenches, with only their turrets showing once they were in position.

Several recon groups consisting of two M12 LRV Warthogs accompanied by an AV-14 Hornet were patrolling the perimeter, and UH-144 Falcons were deploying marine squads to forward listening posts.

Finally, minefields, barbed wire, and pitfalls were being placed on all avenues of likely approach, turning the area between the listening posts and the first trench into no-mans land.

Ivanov allowed himself a moment of pride, those were his men and women down there, and they were doing a damn good job, Alpha base would be a tough nut to crack.

Vasily turned his attention to a smaller hill about 20 kilometers to the southeast of Alpha Base, and said "Joe, patch me through to Sergeant Buck."

Almost instantly, Ivanov's ear started to buzz. "You rang Captain?" came the voice of Buck ODST.

"I deed indeed sergeant, there's a hill 20 kilometers to the southeast that would make an ideal firing position for our heavy artillery and missile batteries, and I want you and your squad to recon it. Scans have shows an extremely dense top canopy near the top though, so until we get our engineers to clear those trees out, the Falcons will only be able to take you so far. Joe has identified a suitable landing zone about four kilometers from your objective, not too bad of a trek. Be careful Sergeant, we don't know whats out there." said Ivanov.

In the background Ivanov heard Mickey, the squads demolitions expert say, "Careful's my middle name Captain, look, I've still got ten fingers."

He then burst into laughter, which was quickly silenced by a smacking sound that was loud enough for Ivanov to hear through the comm. "Sorry about that Captain, we'll get it done. Out."

The line disconnected, and a small smile crossed Vasily's lips. While Buck's squad was at best a bunch of jokers, they were good soldiers and could take care of themselves.

Ivanov watched two Falcons speed towards the hill on the holotable, and then walked over to the coffee dispenser. There was still much to be done, and it was going to be a long day for everyone.

* * *

The Rookie stared out of the side of the Falcon he was riding in, watching the green of the trees rush past beneath him. It wasn't much different from Earth's forest, although they were a little thicker.

The dropship began to slow, and the voice of their pilot rang over the intercom, "This is about as far as we can take you, you'll have to hoof it from here. Shouldn't be to hard for a big bad ODST, right?"

"Yeah yeah, just try not to get your panties tangled in your jumpsuit on the nice, air-conditioned flight back." responded Buck.

The pilot gave a slight chuckle at this, and then said, "We'll be back with a group of engineers to clear the forest when you give the okay. Stay frosty out there helljumpers."

The Falcons stopped, hovering about two meters off the ground, and the ODST's jumped down. Buck turned and gave a one-fingered salute to the cockpit area of the lead Falcon, "Same to you flyboy."

The whirring of two pairs of twin rotors increased, and the Falcons lifted off, returning back to base.

A waypoint appeared on the Rookies HUD, showing him that they needed to go 4.41 kilometers due north.

The rest of the squad oriented themselves, and they set out into the forest in a standard patrol pattern, a rough pentagonal formation, base facing forwards. Mickey and Dutch were the top two points, Romeo and Buck the middle two, and Rookie brougt up the rear.

They trodded through the forest for several minutes in relative silence, navigating around trees, stepping over roots, checking behind bushes, one eye always on their motion tracker. The usual joking had receded, they were on a mission, and it was time to be serious.

The squad reached a clearing, about twenty meters squared, covered in leaves and grass, one of the few areas they'd seen without trees since they've been walking.

Around the middle there appeared to be a large four legged creature covered in fur, lying motionless, obviously dead.

Mickey walked over to it, saying "Hey Sarge, take a look at this. This guy obviously had a bad day."

Buck spared a glance over, and uninterestedly replied "Yeah, it's dead, now why don't you stop playing daddy's little mortician and get back to your position."

Rookie, who had been watching the squads six, turned his head to look at Mickey and saw him poke the animal with the tip of his DMR. But at that same instant, Rookie thought that he saw a sliver of rough brown, hidden underneath the leaves. _A rope? Wait!_

He reached his hand out towards Mickey, but the trap had already been sprung, and in an a flurry of expletives, had suspended Buck, Mickey, and the dead animal in a rope basket ten meters above the ground.

Dutch, Romeo, and Rookie all dropped to a knee, expecting an ambush, but it never came. After a moment they relaxed, and Rookie looked back up towards the hanging ODST's. Mickey had reached his combat knife and was busy sawing away at the rope. Buck was in a, well, more compromising position. Bent over awkwardly, his limbs were a tangled mess, his hands planted firmly on Mickey's rear end.

"Gee Sarge, if I knew you had felt that way, I would have asked you out for coffee a lot sooner." Mickey said, bursting with laughter at the end.

"Just shut up and get us the hell down from here, or else I'll bust your ass back down to elementary school." Buck growled.

"You sure Sarge? Cause you seem to be enjoying it right about now! Ow! What the hell!" yelled Mickey, upon receiving a kick to the back of the helmet, one of the few motions allowed to Buck.

"I swear Mickey, your worse than my cat. You couldn't just leave the thing alone could you? Had to go poke at it like a goddamn child." exclaimed Dutch.

Rookie then caught a flash of red on his motion tracker to his left, and quickly spun his assault rifle around towards it.

Upon seeing this, Dutch and Romeo leveled their weapons as well, and Buck shouted "Hurry up!"

"I'm trying!" shouted Mickey, "Almost done... there!"

The rope snapped, sending the two soldiers falling to the ground, landing in a heap of matte-black armour. They quickly picked themselves up, recovering their weapons from the forest floor.

The squad spread out, audio receptors in their helmets picking up the slight rustling of leaves, and soft, light footsteps.

What stepped out of the brush left them all speechless.

The creature was about one meter tall, covered in dark brown fur, and bipedal. It had a human-like face, with large, black eyes. It was wearing a brown headdress covering the top half of its chest and back, with holes for its face and rounded ears at the top of its head. It was brandishing a small spear, at least by human standards, that was made of a sharp rock attached to a sturdy stick by some sort of leather strips. It looked around at each of the ODST's, then leveled its spear at them and started chirping and barking incomprehensibly.

Dutch summed up the collective feeling of the group pretty well. "It's a goddamn teddy bear. A living, breathing, teddy bear."

"Did I hit my head too hard on the way down?" asked Mickey.

Buck gestured for the squad to lower its weapons. "I've got to call this in. Command? This is Anvil, come in command."

After a couple of seconds, Ivanov's voice came crackling though the comm. "Anvil, this is Command, we read you. Have you completed your objective?"

"Negative, we've come into contact with what appears to be an indigenous species, sending you a video uplink now."

The line was silent for a moment, then the Captain said, "Is this a joke Sergeant Buck?"

"I joke you not Captain, it appears to be sentient too, evidence of clothing and tools." replied Buck.

"Have you attempted to communicate with it?"

"No sir, although it does appear to be saying something. I'm recording it for further analysis later. What do you want me to do now?"

"Hmmm... well it doesn't seem to be overly hostile, try to keep in entertained. I'll send Doctor Brown and Joe over on a Falcon; see if we can't be friendly. Don't worry about you current objective, I'll divert another team to recon the hill. Copy?"

"Solid copy command, we'll try our best. Anvil out." Buck turned towards his squad. "You hear that? Anyone got a coloring book or something?"

"Nah Sarge, I just finished filling out my Disney Princess's just yesterday." Romeo said.

Just then, Rookie thought of something. He reached into a back pocket, and brought out a 21st century era Rubix cube. He had gotten it from his father, who had given it to him when he was born...but those were painful memories, and Rookie didn't want to go down that road again. Sometimes when he had trouble sleeping or nervous before a mission, he would fiddle with it for a few minutes, and it always helped calm him down. He propped his rifle against a tree, twisted the cube a few times to reset it, and handed the puzzle to the creature.

The little bear took it in small, furry paws, and promptly proceeded to sit down on the forest floor, completely transfixed by the colorful stickers on its six faces.

"Nice thinking Rook, never knew you were so good with cute little aliens, grunts don't count." said Buck, nodding at him. "Alright, spread out, lets get a perimeter set up and wait for the eggheads to get here."

Rookie picked back up his rifle, but noticed the little bear had stopped with the cube, and instead was deathly still, head cocked.

Rookie waved at Buck to get his attention, and the Sergeant asked, "What is it Rook?"

The silent helljumper pointed towards their newly discovered forest pal, who was now sniffing the air, spear tightly clutched in both hands.

"Think he knows something we don't" asked Dutch, to which Rookie just shrugged his shoulders.

It was then, when a loud, guttural roar swept throughout the forest, followed by another, then another.

Rookie saw three large red blips on the edge of his motion tracker, and Buck called out "Three contacts at maximum range! Due west and closing fast!"

The little bear started chattering loudly, and Rookie looked over to it. He was no expert in xenobiology, but from what he could tell, the thing looked terrified. _That can't be good_, he thought.

The three blips were almost on top of the squad, and when they burst into the clearing, Rookie could instantly tell they weren't friendly.

The things were three meters tall and about 5 meters long, and from Rookies guess they weighed at least 300 pounds. It had greyish brown fur, a hunched back, and two large tusks protruding from its mouth. . The animals had vicious-looking incisors, saliva dripping from massive jaws, and sharp, and hand length claws on the end of each short, stubby leg.

The middle one looked right at Rookie with beady, evil red eyes, and let out an ear-piercing scream, charging right at him.

Years of training took over, and his assault rifle snapped up to his shoulder. He squeezed the trigger, but was only able to get off a few 7.62X14mm rounds to little effect before the thing was almost on him.

At the last second, Rookie dived to the right and saw the beast run past him, having overshot. He rolled up to a knee, but to his horror saw that the animal had not only already recovered, but were only feet away from him.

They collided, and Rookie was thrown to the ground, knocking the wind out of him and sending his rifle skipping across the ground out of reach.

The demon boar pounced on him, pinning him to the ground with a front claw clamped across his midsection. Rookie heard the sickening sounds of cracking ribs, and a fiery pain shot through his chest, leaving him gasping.

With one swipe from a massive paw, the beast ripped off Rookie's helmet, one of its claws searing a deep gash along his left cheek up to his temple.

It opened its jaws and snapped at Rookie's head, going in for the kill. Acting on pure instinct the ODST raised his right arm, and the boars mouth clamped down on it with incredible force, snapping the bones, causing Rookie to yell in agony. Were it not for his armoured gauntlet it would have been much worse, his entire arm probably would have been crushed into dust.

With his free arm, Rookie drew his combat knife from the cross-draw position on his chest, and plunged the seven-inch long blade into the monsters eye.

It let out a deafening roar and relented on the pressure on Rookie's hip just enough to allow him to reach down and draw his M6D.

He shoved the barrel under the animals chin, and squeezed the trigger once, twice, three times, the Semi Armour Piercing High Explosive rounds blowing fist-sized holes out of the top of its head. Bits of blood, bone, and brain matter rained on and around Rookie as the beast went limp, and with a mighty push, he shoved its head away and crawled out from under it.

With the immidiate threat of death temporarily gone, Rookie's adrenaline rush started to subside, he finally felt how badly he was injured.

His chest felt like someone had impaled a number of red-hot railroad spikes into it, and he couldn't even feel his arm. The gash across his face stung like the sting from a thousand wasps, and crimson blood flowed freely from it onto the ground and his armour.

His left eye had swollen up, and he could barely see out of it, and his vision in his right was bordered by black, a sign of coming unconsciousness. He also couldn't hear anything; it was like the world had gone silent.

From his limited field of view on the ground, Rookie couldn't see the rest of his squad, but could see another of the boars, its snout buried into a hole in a tree, violently thrashing back and forth trying to get at something.

He found out what when the animal visibly recoiled, and the stone point of a spear sticking in its nose. _That must be where that little bear is hiding_, Rookie thought, _I have to help him_. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw exactly how he could do that.

Lying on the ground nest to a tree was an M6 Grindell/Gallean Nonlinear Rifle, more commonly known as the Spartan Laser. _It must have been knocked off of Dutch's back_, thought the wounded helljumper. With one arm, Rookie dragged himself to the large weapon, and upon reaching it, used almost all of his remaining strength to prop himself up against the tree.

He raised the Laser to his shoulder, noticing how much heavier it felt that usual, and depressed the firing stud, lining up the targeting laser on the boars center of mass. He waited, and after a couple of seconds, the Spartan Laser discharged, sending a brilliant beam of ruby-red into the boar's side.

For a weapon that could destroy heavily armoured vehicles with relative ease, the results against the bare skin of the giant animal were predictable, yet still devastating. The superheated laser punched right through the beast's chest, creating a hole as big around as a Mongoose's tire, and Rookie could see the green of the forest on the other side. Flesh and bone were vaporized, and there was no blood, as the intense heat of the laser instantly cauterized the wound. The boar slumped to the ground, no longer having any semblance of internal organs, the giant hole still smoking.

Satisfied that he did all he could, Rookie let the Spartan Laser fall to the ground, and then followed it, collapsing onto his side. His eyes started to flutter, and he grew increasingly dizzy.

Before crossing into the void of unconsciousness, Rookie saw Buck rushing towards him, his helmet also off. The Sergeant got onto his knees and grabbed Rookie by the chin, slapping his cheek, trying to keep him awake. He saw Buck's lips moving, but couldn't hear any words come out. Buck turned his head and yelled at somebody that Rookie couldn't see, then turned his attention back to him.

Rookie was gently moved onto his back, and he stared at the sky at the tops of the trees. The last thing he saw was vivid green leaves blowing gently in the wind, then darkness overcame him.

* * *

**_CAS_-class Assault Carrier _Shadow of Intent, _****First Age of Redemption. ****Slipspace, en route to Rebel Alliance Rally point**

Thel 'Vadam activated his energy sword in a hiss of blue plasma, and charged forward at his opponent, hooved feet thudding on the smooth purple deck.

The other Sangheili activated his sword as well, and held it diagonally across his chest, spreading his legs in a defensive position.

'Vadam feinted towards the Elites left shoulder, but stopped halfway, bringing the sword down, aiming to sever the others right knee.

His adversary anticipated this move however, and slid his leg back, swinging his plasma sword down across his body, catching 'Vadam's weapon on his.

The Arbiter swung a four-fingered fist at his enemy's head, which was barely ducked under by the other Elite, who then disengaged his blade from 'Vadam's and swung horizontally at shin-level.

Thel jumped over just in time, he could feel the heat of the superheated plasma bleed through his shields onto his feet, the protective energy field crackling a brilliant gold.

In mid-air, 'Vadam landed a kick to his opponents chest, forcing him back about a meter, however he stayed on his feet.

The two warriors kept at this for a few moments, exchanging lightning-quick thrusts, parries, slashes, kicks, punches, and feints, neither one gaining an advantage.

The dueled with the intensity, practicality, and grace that could only be learned from years of combat experience, plasma-sword strikes parried or missing by inches, and blows from arms or legs being absorbed or blocked.

The Sangheili took a few steps back from each other, panting, giving each other a few seconds of quarter before they would resume.

The comm unit in 'Vadam's ear buzzed, and he put up a finger to activate it, his opponent doing the same.

From the voice of one of the bridge crew came, "Arbiter, Shipmaster, we have dropped out of slipspace near the Alliance fleet. Admiral Lasky has requested your presences aboard the _Infinity _as the Sangheili delegation. A phantom is being prepared in Landing Bay 3."

"Acknowledged." replied 'Vadam. He turned to the Elite with which he was dueling and said, "Well my old friend, another galaxy, another conflict to take part in."

Thel deactivated his energy sword and placed it on his hip. "Do you ever grow tired of this constant fighting R'tas? There are some times I wish I could just sit in the war-room of my keep and read the battle-poems of my ancestors in peace, without fear of the interruption of war."

R'tas 'Vadum, shipmaster of the _Shadow of Intent_, co-commander of Separatist forces, and long-time comrade of Thel 'Vadam, deactivated his sword as well, chucking softly. "Of all people Arbiter, I did not think that you would become one for quiet reflection. Although I must agree, though we were raised to fight, it does grow weary occasionally."

He put a hand on Thel's shoulder, "We must not forget however, the sins we have committed against the humans. If we have another chance to redeem ourselves, I suggest that we take it, no matter where it may lead."

They both reflected upon that statement, heads low in shame. The Great Schism had shaken the basis of Sangheili society to its very core. For thirty years, they had fought a holy war against the humans, the lies of the Prophets convincing them that they were an insult to the Forerunners. The humans were to be exterminated to the last being, and so that's what the Covenant set out to do.

It wasn't until the battle at the Ark where the truth was fully revealed, much to the horror of the Sangheili.

Records gleamed from the Ark before its destruction, and its docking bay at Earth, showed the lineage and origins of every species that the Forerunners seeded in the galaxy before the first firing of the Halo Arrays.

According to the files, humans were of direct ancestry to the Forerunners themselves.

The children of the gods that the Sangheili so revered, almost to the point of fanaticism, they had killed by the billions, and for what? The ancient grudges of the three hierarchs? For three decades, the Sangheili has destroyed the so called 'blasphemous sinners', when in fact they themselves were the ones who had sinned.

Upon hearing this news, many Sangheili, including Thel and R'tas, had vowed to do whatever in their power to help the humans recover from their near extinction at Earth. A few even committed suicide, unable to bear the guilt newly placed on their consciousnesses. As thus, the First Age of Redemption had begun.

Thel reminisced on the hundreds of humans he had slaughtered, soldier, civilian; they were all the same in his eyes. He remembered when he was a Minor in his second battle, eager to prove himself in the eyes of his superiors.

He had broken into a building, and found a human family, cowering in a corner, two parents tightly clutching three female younglings to their chests.

'Vadam had brandished his plasma rifle, and without a second thought had killed them all, laughing all the while, the their pleas of mercy drowned out by the high-pitched whine of plasma.

They all had memories like that, which now haunted the consciousness of every Sangheili that participated in the Great War.

Others refused to believe these new facts that humans were in fact, Forerunners of a sort, and continued to worship the Covenant and the ideals of the Prophets, resulting in the civil war on Sanghelios.

After the defeat of the radicals, the Sangheili, under the command of de-facto leader Thel 'Vadam, formally declared a formal treaty of peace with the humans. With the help of human scientists and the now-returned Huragok, the Sangheili quickly re-learned how to build and maintain the technology given to them by the San 'Shyuum.

Fleets were repaired, infrastructure was rebuilt, crops were planted, and for the first time in millennia, the Sangheili had become self-sustaining.

As a sign of good will, the Sangheili gave the humans ships, and the resulting plasma, shielding, and slipspace technology, as well as methods of terraforming to help recover human planets that had been glassed.

When the Forerunner shield world at Onyx was discovered, new advances in shielding, slipspace, hull strengths, and weapons were shared with the Sangheili as well.

Thel looked back up again at R'tas. "I agree, any chance we have to help the humans, either of our galaxy or another, we take. Come, let us not keep the Admiral waiting."

The two Sangheili began their walk towards the Phantom.

* * *

**Authors** **Note: If you want a better picture of what the boar things actually look like, look up boar-wolves on Wookiepedia.**

**Next Chapter will definitely include the big meeting between the UNSC, Sangheili, and Alliance heads. Also, just a question, does anybody know of any Dark Jedi or evil force-adepts during this period, beside Sidious and Vader?**


	6. Chapter 6: Introductions

**A/N: Here you are, Chapter 6.**

**As always, please review if you have the time, I really appreciate it**

**After exchanging numerous pm's and ideas JonHarper, let me say this. If you are liking the story so far, stick with it, it's going to be epic. I promise.**

**Special thanks to my betas JonHarper and Sharnorasian Empire, who played no small part in making this chapter comprehensible.**

**Enjoy**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but all original content is mine.**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Intoduction**

**Bridge of MC80 Star Cruiser _Home One, _****Five hours after Battle of Hoth, ****Rebel Alliance Rally point, deep space**

Admiral Gial Ackbar sat in his command chair aboard his personal flagship _Home One, _and looked over the remains of the Rebel Alliance after Hoth.

All things considered, they could have suffered a worse fate. From General Carlist Rieekan's report, he had thought that were it not for the UNSC fleet's distraction of the Imperial warships, than they would have lost a lot more personnel and supplies.

As it stood, their fleet consisted of ten CR90 Corellian Corvettes and Corellian Missile Gunships each, eleven Nebulon-B2 Frigates, nine Assault Frigate Ml. II's, two old _Venator-_class Star Destroyer, three _Quasar Fire_-class bulk cruisers, two MC80 Star Cruisers, the _Liberty_ and Ackbar's flagship _Home One_, and various transports and supply ships.

Also protecting the fleet were several squadrons of X-wing, Y-wing, A wing, and B-wing starfighters.

It was only a fraction of the number of ships compared to what the Empire had, but over the years it had become a real thorn in the Imperial's side.

"Admiral, the UNSC fleet will arrive in sector 65-B in about one minute according to the time estimates given by General Rieekan." said one of the bridge crew.

"Very good, put the sector up on the viewscreen, I'd like to see them arrive." said Ackbar, getting up from his chair and standing in front of the screen, webbed hands clasped behind his back.

Sure enough, after about a minute, Ackbar was witness to an event that he would not soon forget; his first glimpse of a slipspace exit.

Seemingly out of nowhere, almost 60 white-purple portals lit up the black void of space, and several vessels slid out of them. It wasn't at all like the sudden jerking stop of a hyperspace exit, there was certain a grace and fluidity to it that reminded Ackbar of the water-sphere swim-dancing that he had had the pleasure of seeing when he was a child.

The fleet that arrived out of the portal was a sight to behold. Sensor reading showed a total of 58 vessels, larger than his own fleet by about ten ships. Also, the size of most of their ships were astonishing! There were at least ten that were significantly larger, at least 500 meters, than his own _Home One_, and twenty that were maybe a hundred meters shorter. The rest of the vessels were just a little smaller than one of his Mk. II Assault Frigates.

And was that... a Star Destroyer? Under their control? It looked to be attached to one of the larger ships via several tether cables. He'd have to ask how they managed to capture it...

Although the ship that had Ackbar's attention, and most of the bridge crew he noticed, was the giant six kilometer beast in the middle of the group.

_I bet that ship has some serious firepower. I'm just glad we weren't on the receiving end of that._

Ackbar hear a calm, feminine voice behind him, "And so, here are the possible saviors of our cause."

The admiral turned around to look at a tall, thin dressed in a long, white gown. She had ear-length auburn hair, piercing blue eyes, and the look of a regal queen with an overly large weight bearing on her shoulders. Her high face was creased with lines around the eyes and mouth, and she looked very weary, yet despite this she held herself high; confident and stoic.

"Maybe they are, but remember Mon Mothma, we know almost nothing about these new peoples, and they nothing of us." Ackbar replied to the chief of state of the Alliance.

"And that is precisely why we need to convert them to our cause. They haven't been corrupted by Imperial propaganda, or convinced to stay out of it by outside forces. Think of them as a blank slate; they are new to this galaxy, and we can help them, as they can us." said Mothma.

The communications officer spoke up, "Admiral, the lead ship is hailing us, they want to know where they are to meet."

"We are the hosts here, direct them to my personal hangar, and have someone there to show them to the conference room. I will be there shortly." Ackbar ordered. He turned to Mothma, "Well, there is only one way to find out if we will gain a new ally in our fight, come, and let us go meet our guests."

* * *

In the conference room adjoining Admiral Ackbar's personal hangar sat several of the most important members of the Alliance gathered to meet the UNSC/Separatist heads.

At the head of the table sat none other than Mon Mothma herself, the de facto leader of the Alliance and its political head. To her left sat Admiral Ackbar, the Supreme Commander of the Alliance Fleet. Next to him was Senator Garm Bel Iblis, a Senior General and co-founder of the Alliance. Then came Airen Cracken, the Supreme Commander of Alliance Intelligence, Jan Dodanna, the general who was in command of Massassi station on Yavin IV, and finally, Luke Skywalker, commander of Rogue Squadron.

A light above the door flashed green, signaling that it was about to open, and the Alliance members all stood, ready to greet their new arrivals.

The door slid open with a near-silent swoosh, and the UNSC delegation stepped forward.

First to enter was the Alliance general Carlist Rieekan, he had been with the outsiders and had acted as an impromptu guide, and he made his way over to a chair next to Skywalker.

After him was the now Admiral Lasky in full dress uniform, impeccably white, lines clean and crisp. Golden braids brandished black shoulder paldrouns, and various medals and ribbons adorned his chest. The four silver stars of an Admiral present upon his collar and sleeves, and the UNSC symbol, an eagle above Earth, wings spread, on the front of his white cap. Upon entering the room, Lasky removed his cover and took position in front of the seat directly opposite of Mon Mothma.

Next were General Mason, Colonel Tarkov, and Captain Osman, all in their respective dress uniforms, all of them black. They all chose a chair next to Lasky in that order as well.

However, it was the next few arrivals that really got the Alliance's attention.

Commander Sarah Palmer and Lieutenant Commander Frederic-104 strode in, decked out in their MJOLNIR armor, faces hidden behind polarized visors, the white and red of Palmer's suit contrasting greatly with the dark green of Fred's. Their heavy boots made distinct clangs on the metal floor as they took positions behind Lasky near the wall, preferring to stand. At almost seven feet tall, and in their armor weighing around a metric ton, the two Spartans drew looks of surprise, awe, and even some hints of fear in each of the Alliance head's faces.

Arms crossed against their shoulders, the two Spartans looked like miniature gods of war, ready to smite any who would dare oppose them with trademark lethality and efficiency.

Last were the two Sangheili representatives, Thel 'Vadam, more commonly known as the Arbiter, and R'tas 'Vadum. They also chose to stand, although they separated themselves from the UNSC humans by a few feet.

If the Alliance members were at all affected by the appearance of the two Sangheili, then they did a good job of hiding it. Lasky wasn't surprised though, as during the jump to the rally point General Rieekan had told him of how there were thousands of alien species in their galaxy, some far stranger looking than an Elite.

Mon Mothma looked at the door, and satisfied that there wasn't anyone else coming, she looked at Lasky and said, "Welcome to _Home One_, the flagship of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. My name is Mon Mothma, and I am the movement's political head."

She held out her hand, and Lasky reached out to shake it, noting that her grip was stronger than one would imagine.

"Thank you for having us, my name is Admiral Thomas Lasky of the United Nation Space Command, and for the time being I'm the commander of all UNSC and Separatist forces present." Lasky said. "Now I imagine that you have a lot of questions about us, I know we do about you, but I recommend that before we start discussing things, we give a brief overview of each others history. Sort of a base which we can build off of."

"I think that is an excellent idea Admiral, and as the hosts of this conference, I volunteer us to go first, if that is alright with you?" she asked, smiling.

"Go right ahead." replied Lasky. Little did Mon Mothma know, Lasky had already become wary of her. He knew that type of smile, it was the same kind that he'd seen overly ambitious politicians wear when they wanted to charm someone into helping them. Mothma wanted something from Lasky, that much he could tell, and he had a pretty good idea of what it was. He wouldn't be manipulated though, any agreement that they entered would be on _his_ terms.

An aide passed out datapads to each of the UNSC/Separatist members, the screen showing a timeline of events, starting thousands of years ago.

Mon Mothma began to recant the history of the Alliance, starting with the first Galactic Republic. "For thousands of years, the galaxy was connected and governed by the Old Republic, a government which gave representation to all of its worlds, and favored no one system over another. This was fine, until about twenty years ago a group of systems thought that the existing government had grown to corrupt, and thus, they split off, forming the Confederacy of Independent systems. What resulted was a galaxy-wide civil war, in which many people were killed and planets ravaged. During the war, Chancellor Palpatine, the then-head of the Old Republic, started consolidating power, saying that it was necessary due to the current conflict. The senate had no control over anything, Palpatine was slowly becoming a dictator, and no one was doing a thing about it." She said this last sentence with a hint of anger, then continued.

"There were of course, attempts to remove Palpatine from power via political methods, but he just shot them down time and time again."

Mothma sighed, and looked towards the table. "After all other methods of affecting change were exhausted, a few senators and I started meeting in secret to discuss a drastic course of action, a complete separation from the Republic all together. If Palpatine or his agents would have found out, which they almost did might I add, we would have been labeled as traitors and summarily executed. Desperate times called for desperate measures however; we had no other alternative."

"It wasn't until the issue of Order 66, which exposed the whole war as an extremely elaborate plan to exterminate the Jedi, thus removing any real opposition to Palpatine, when we actually put our plans into play. Support was gathered, men and women volunteered, ships and supplies were acquired, and the Alliance to Restore the Republic was formed. By this time, the Chancellor had declared himself Emperor, and reinstated the Republic as the Galactic Empire. For years they've ruled with an iron fist, subjugating worlds to increasingly harsh demands and policies, and severely punishing anybody with the nerve to stand up to them."

"We've done what we could throughout the years, disrupting Imperial supply lines, stealing a ship here, sabotaging a base or factory there; guerilla warfare on a galactic scale. We just haven't had the numbers or the chance needed to strike a decisive blow to the Empire, and become more than a mere annoyance. We've had a few notable successes though. We launched an assault on the Imperial planet of Kamino and managed to destroy almost all of the stormtrooper cloning facilities there, but at a great cost to ships in orbit and troops on the ground." said Mothma.

Upon mention of cloning, Thel and R'tas shared a quick glance, words not needed to communicate their thoughts.

_What kind of military uses clone soldiers to do their fighting? Has this Empire have no honor?_ Thel thought.

Mon Mothma continued. "We scored another significant victory with the destruction of the first Death Star, which General Rieekan said he explained to you. One would think that it would have been beneficial; while in the short term it was, long term, the Empire started devoting more assets to combating us, and the pressure has been increased greatly. We have already lost two command bases in less than three years; it's hard to mount an effective resistance when one is constantly on the run. What shipyards we do possess are working nonstop to build warships like the one we are on now, and were training crews as fast as we can."

At that Admiral Ackbar piped up. "We have about a third of the time to devote to training as the Empire does, and most of that is on the job."

"Anyways, that is the basis of how we arrived to where we are, feel free to keep the datapads if you would like to look into anything further." Mothma concluded.

Lasky nodded, he would definitely make use of the information in the datapad. He wanted to know more about these "Jedi" What were they? What made them so special as to warrant an entire civil war devoted to their destruction?

"Admiral?" Mon Mothma asked.

Lasky tilted his head towards Captain Osman, who produced a small data-chip from her pocket, its circular center glowing blue. She placed it on the table, and said "Why don't you introduce yourself BB?"

A holographic black cube materialized about 10 centimeters above the table. "Hello, my name is Black-Box. I am a fourth-generation UNSC Smart AI. Do you need me for anything Admiral?"

"Yes, can you make these datapads compatible with what we have to offer?" Lasky asked.

"Of course Admiral, already done. The basic systems were a little different from what we use, but it wasn't much of a challenge to reconfigure it." BB turned his 'front side', distinguished by it being slightly lighter than the others, to Admiral Ackbar, saying, "And by the way, this is a very nice ship you have Admiral. A lot of history behind it, this used to be a luxury vessel? Astonishing... and an interesting deck layout as well. Graceful on the outside, but strong on the inside."

Ackbar looked flabbergasted. "How did you access that information? Did you hack our system?"

"No no no Admiral! I was just taking a little peek, nothing major." BB hastily replied.

"A little peek? We had at least five layers of electronic security!" the Mon Calamari exclaimed.

"Oh so that's what that was... maybe this will make it up to you. I rewrote your targeting procedures for your weapons systems, your gunners will now on average be 8.34 percent more accurate."

Ackbar opened his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it, and settled on fixing the AI with a semi-hostile glare.

Lasky frowned, saying "My apologies, Black-Box is an intelligence AI, and tends to be a little to 'inquisitive' for his own good. Now I do believe it is our turn to talk. Your datapads should be showing a timeline similar to the one you had, but modified to fit our events."

Lasky went on to give a brief overview on the beginning of humanity becoming a space-faring race, starting with the Apollo missions, the settling of the Luna and Mars, the Interplanetary War, and the Rainforest wars. The invention of the Shaw-Fujikawa slipspace drive and how it allowed the colonization of hundreds of worlds. Then, the Insurrection.

Lasky began, "By the start of the 26th century, humanity spanned dozens of systems, all unified under one government located at Earth. This worked out fine for a while, but eventually some of the outer worlds began to question the current system. These worlds, light-years away from Earth, thought it ridiculous to be governed by a planet so far away, and that had little to no impact on the daily lives of its citizens. They petitioned for a new government, one which the outer colonies would split from the inner colonies and rule themselves as an independent body."

"It was when the central government first denied this idea when things started to get out of hand. First off, it was small scale. A few riots on some backwater planet, maybe some stolen government property, minor things, nothing large enough to warrant significant attention. That was until, the terrorist attacks started... schools, hospitals, nothing was off limits for them, anything to make their point known. The last straw came when they detonated not one, but two nuclear devices on civilian targets, killing upwards of fifteen million and severely injuring and crippling millions more."

Expressions of confusion, and even disbelief, crossed some of the Alliance members faces, and Garm Bel Iblis questioned, "Nuclear strikes against mass numbers of innocents? Surely they wouldn't have gone that far, it would have just drawn more negative attention to them and hurt their cause more than it would help."

Lasky was about to explain, but suddenly Luke spoke up, "He's telling the truth Senator."

Iblis turned to Skywalker, asking, "And what makes you think that?"

The young commander looked him right in the eye and said, "I just know Senator, one doesn't lie about such things."

This seemed to calm Iblis down, and the other Alliance members seemed to accept Luke's explanation as well. Clearly the young man had the respect of the higher ups in this organization.

Lasky nodded Luke, and continued on. "The scary thing was that they were gaining support. After diplomatic reasoning failed, the UNSC stepped in to try to bring peace, but it was happening to many places at once, the fleet was spread too thin. We needed an edge, something that would give us an advantage. Thus, the Spartan program was created."

Lasky pointed to Fred and Sarah. "Those two right there are Spartans. I'm sure you would understand why I won't go into much detail, but the Spartans went on to become our knights in shining armor. They are exponentially faster, stronger, smarter, have better reaction time, and are more aware than any other human, and their powered assault armor is some of the most advanced technology in our arsenal. And they worked. Insurrectionist activity died down to almost nothing, due in no small part to the Spartans. In fact, I myself owe my life to one, and I'll never forget it. Little did they know however, that they would become humanities saviors in the upcoming war."

Lasky stood up out of his chair, and started to pace around the room. "On February 3rd of 2525 one of our agricultural colonies, named Harvest, made first contact with an alien hegemony known as the Covenant. Communications were lost soon after. After these new aliens were deemed hostile upon almost destroying a UNSC scouting party, the largest fleet ever gathered in human history set out to remove the hostiles and retake Harvest. Little did we know what kind of fight we were getting into. The Covenant warships were vastly superior to ours in terms of technology, and even though we had their fleet outnumbered three to one, we still barely won, losing almost two-thirds of our ships. It would go on that way for three decades, always running, waging a war we had little chance of winning. It was so frustrating at times, we could hold our own on the ground, not that it mattered most of the time, because once our space vessels were destroyed or retreating, it opened up the ground forces to orbital bombardment."

"In order to slow the Covenant's advance, we instituted the Cole Protocol in order to protect the locations of our worlds, yet despite this, by 2552 the Covenant had found Earth, our last remaining planet, the last bastion of humanity. Were it not for the sudden split of the Covenant causing a massive civil war, and the actions of a few brave individuals, we would not be here today. The war ended in 2552 as well with a peace treaty with the Sangheili, and we began to rebuild. It was in 2556 when we discovered a wormhole on the galactic rim that upon further investigation, actually went back in time to a period before the war with the Covenant. Immediately we rounded up what ships we could gather, and set out to go through it, and maybe stop to whole war in its entirety. However, something went wrong, and we were deposited here instead, and the rest, as you say, is history." finished Lasky, sitting back down at his chair."

"Well, that is certainly a lot to think about, it must be hard to share such memories." remarked Mothma, a look of genuine sadness in her eyes. "Although I do have some questions, if you do not mind me asking Admiral."

Lasky nodded, and Mothma continued, "Firstly, while I may not be an expert in the theories and circumstances of time travel, if you did somehow manage to go back in time and stop the war with the Covenant, wouldn't you cease to exist as you do right now?"

"That was a fate we were all willing to accept when we went through the wormhole. When we joined the UNSC, we vowed to protect humanity no matter the cost, and we had a chance to save hundreds of billions of lives, it was our duty to try to stop it." Lasky replied.

"That's very... noble of you Admiral, I find it heartwarming to know that there will always be those who put the needs of others before themselves, whether it be in this galaxy or another. My other question is, if the Covenant spent thirty years bringing humanity to the brink of extinction, why is one of its member species now working alongside you? Especially given the relatively short time period between the end of the war and now."

From the corner of the room, Thel 'Vadam stepped forward, and in his deep, educated voice, said, "I believe that I should be the one to give you the answer you seek. As far as I can remember, we Sangheili have worshiped an ancient race called the Forerunners, who we believed were gods. Any remnant of their civilization, from the most expansive of relics to the smallest of structures, we viewed as sacred, and to defile or desecrate it in any way was a blasphemous sin worthy of death. When we first encountered the humans on Harvest, the three San'Shyuum Hierarchs, the holy leaders of out Covenant, convinced us that they had defiled shrines of the Forerunners. Their punishment was to be the complete extermination of their species, and like obedient dogs we obeyed, believing that we were accomplishing the will of the gods themselves."

The Arbiter lowered his longs neck and head a little, eyes downcast to the floor, voice low and remorseful. "For three decades we ravaged across he human worlds, showing mercy to none. We slaughtered every human in sight, man, woman, child... infant... it did not matter. We reduced entire planets to nothing more than balls of glass, and we did it all in the name of the gods. It wasn't until the end of the war and the Great Schism when we finally began to see the truth. All those years we had been fighting, the countless dead on both sides, meant nothing."

Raising his voice a little, he continued, "The prophets lied to us! The humans never defiled any sacred relic, they were the relics! Records we found showed that humanity was of direct descendance of the Forerunners, and the Prophets thought that if any were to find out, that it would cause a massive upheaval of the Covenant. So, they tricked us, and for thirty years we killed the very gods that we worshiped, laughing as sword and rifle cut short their cries of mercy!"

Thel all but shouted this last sentence, causing many of the Alliance members to instinctively shy away, and the two Spartans to uncross their arms, ready to subdue the Arbiter is so required.

R'tas put a hand on Thel's shoulder, and after a few deep breaths, the Arbiter visibly calmed, much to the relief of everyone present.

"I am sorry if I frightened any of you, that was not my intention." Thel apologized before going on, "Once we learned of this, many Sangheili swore to do whatever in their power to make up for the sins we have committed, and after a brief war with Sangheili radicals who still followed the way of the Prophets, we signed a peace treaty with the humans. When we learned of the portal, many of us volunteered to try to go back and expose the lies of the Prophets, thus freeing our race from their manipulation, and that is how we ended up here."

There was a moment of silence, then Lasky spoke up. "Well, now that we know each others background, I propose we get down to business. From my observations, and to put it simply, we need allies if we are to last in this new galaxy, and you need allies to help in you fight against the Empire, which is convenient, seeing as I don't feel that friendly towards them, seeing as they destroyed one of my ships without cause or warning."

"You make a valid point Admiral, so if there is no protest, let us 'get down to business'" said Mon Mothma. "By the power granted to my as Chief of State in accordance to the Alliance Charter, I propose to establish a formal military and political alliance between the Alliance to Restore the Republic and the UNSC/Separatist forces. As the acting leader of the opposite party, Admiral Thomas Lasky, do you accept this proposal?"

"I do." replied Lasky, holding out his hand to shake, which Mon Mothma did.

"Then it is final, welcome to our fight to free the galaxy Admiral." she said.

"Speaking of fighting," Lasky looked at Airen Cracken, who if he remembered was the head of Alliance Intelligence, "Commander Cracken, what can you tell me about a planet called Kashyyyk?"


	7. Chapter 7: Kashyyyk

**Authors Note: Alright so here it is, Chapter Seven. There's been a bit of a longer wait, but I believe I've compensated by making this chapter almost twice as long as the others.**

**So, I've realized that I've made a rather grave mistake concerning the time period of the Halo universe in this fic. Maybe three-quarters of the way through writing, I remembered that Majestic and Crimson squad, which are both featured in the chapter, didn't come aboard the Infinity until midway through 2558. **

**That being said, here are a couple of changes I have made:**

**The beginning date of the story is now March, 2559**

**Humans have been obtaining Forerunner Tech from both Onyx, and now Requiem as well**

**Now for those of you who have completed Halo 4, or know of its ending, this leaves a rather large question to be answered: To Chief? Or not to Chief?**

**Well have no fear my fellow Chief-lovers, John-117 _will_ be making an appearance, but it will not be until later chapters. My explanation for why he is not with the initial fleet is located in the beginning of a newly edited chapter four, and I hope it satisfies you somewhat.**

**Special thanks to my beta's Jon Harper and Sharnorasian Empire for adding some great new ideas and fixing some grammar flaws.**

**Anyway, please review if you have time, I really appreciate the feedback I get from my readers.**

**Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but all original content is mine**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Kashyyyk**

**Conference Room Adjacent to Admiral Ackbar's Private Hangar, ****Rebel Alliance Rally Point, Deep Space**

"Commander Cracken, what can you tell me about a planet called Kashyyyk?"

The Head of Alliance Intelligence looked at Lasky, brows furrowed, and said "Kashyyyk? Well, it's a terrestrial planet, oxygen atmosphere, standard gravity, whose primary land features consist of massive forests. It's been under Imperial control since the beginning of the war, they use the native species, Wookies, as slaves for manual labor."

Lasky looked a little disappointed. "Don't humor me Commander, that much I read from your datapads. You know what I really mean."

"Why the sudden interest in Kashyyyk, Admiral Lasky?" asked Mon Mothma.

Lasky leaned back in his chair. "Last time I checked, both of our factions are in need of a base of operations. From information we've pulled from our captured Star Destroyer's databases, Kashyyyk was the local staging point for the Imperial assault on Hoth. Force deployment records showed that most of the garrison was deployed in the attack, which would in theory leave Kashyyyk relatively lightly defended."

Garm Bel Ilbis looked at Lasky, an inquisitive look on his face. "Are you suggesting that we launch an assault on a major Imperial base? And so soon after our near-disastrous defeat at Hoth?"

Lasky leaned out of his chair, and put his hand on the table, leaning forward on them. "No Senator, not an assault. An invasion."

This statement sent a silence though the room, and expressions of disbelief crossed most of the faces of the Alliance heads. Skywalker, however, had a small smile upon his face, as did General Rieekan.

The _Infinity _Captain continued expanding on his idea. "There is no better time to attack then now. You yourselves talked about the arrogance and mindset of superiority of the Imperial commanders, so why not use that to our advantage? We could take the Imperials by complete surprise, why would they have any reason to expect an attack by the very forces that they had just sent a fleet to destroy? Add to this their reduced amount of men and ships, and this is something that we could definitely accomplish."

Lasky looked towards Mon Mothma, the corners of her mouth turned slightly downwards, "You say that you want to have an impact against the Empire, so why not stop hiding in the shadows, licking your wounds, and take the fight to them?"

Mon Mothma shared a glance with Ackbar before turning to look as Lasky again. "Admiral, despite the points that you have brought up, I just don't think we can commit to a major offensive at this time. Our fleet is still regrouping, and our men are weary. We just don't have the spirit right now."

The UNSC Admiral furrowed his brows, lips pursed into a thin line. _What kind of a Rebellion isn't even willing to fight for its own cause? _"I was afraid you might say that," he said, "So that's why I'm offering to use my forces alone to take the world."

Lasky's statement sent waves of surprise through the Alliance members, and Mothma spoke up, "You'd be willing to risk your own ships and men for us in such a way? But why?"

'It's quite simple really. Don't forget that the Imperials destroyed one of _my_ ships, killed _my _men, all in cold blood. No galactic power is above wholesale murder; no matter how justified they think it is. My soldiers want justice, and I'm not about to deny them that, after all they've done for me. We're going to show the Empire that the UNSC is not something to be trifled with, and taking a planet right out from under their noses would do just that." Lasky answered.

Mothma gave Lasky a small smile. "Very well Admiral, I can see that I cannot persuade you otherwise, so we might as well do what we can to help you." She turned towards Cracken. "Commander, if you will, please give Admiral Lasky any _real_ intelligence you have on Kashyyyk. Also, I'd like you to accompany the UNSC fleet to Kashyyyk and observe, if that is okay with you Admiral?"

Lasky nodded his head. "Certainly."

Suddenly, Luke Skywalker spoke up from the end of the table. "Admiral Ackbar, permission to take Rogue Squadron to Kashyyyk to assist the UNSC forces in their operation?"

Ackbar thought for a moment, then said "We're not exactly using you to you full potential here, so I don't see why not, unless Admiral Lasky sees otherwise."

"I'd be happy to have your squadron along Commander Skywalker." Lasky said.

"Very well, permission granted." the Mon Calamari Admiral told Luke.

The next hour or so was spent going over troop strengths, key locations, notable personnel, topographical maps, base layouts and defenses, vehicle, aircraft, starfighter, and warship schematics pulled from existing Alliance intel and the Star Destroyer databanks.

Lasky's curiosity was peaked when Commander Cracken mentioned something called a 'Skyhook'

"Commander, what exactly is this Skyhook?" he asked.

"From what we've been able to gather, the Skyhook acts as an orbital elevator. It ferries men and supplies from the surface to the Imperial space station in orbit. We ran an op sometime ago that managed to slow its construction, but it's probably fully functional by now."

_A working orbital tether? That just increased the value of this planet twofold._ Lasky thought.

"Speaking of operations," Cracken added, "We sent a team to Kashyyyk several months ago to try an instigate a Wookie uprising, but they've failed to check in for the past two weeks. We fear they might have been captured or killed." He looked at Lasky with a look of desperation, and almost pleaded, "Admiral, those agents make up some of our most valuable personnel, if they are alive, we _need_ them back."

"I'll see what I can do about discovering the whereabouts of you team Commander." said Lasky, and saw the relief flood Cracken's face. "Now if you'll excuse us, my commanders and I must be getting back to our fleet, we have an assault to plan. I thank you greatly for the intelligence you've given us, and I'll make sure it's put to good use."

With that, Lasky and the UNSC delegation stood, hands were shaken, thanks were given, and one by one they filed out of the door.

* * *

**Bridge of UNSC _Infinity,_**** Six hours after battle of Hoth, ****Rebel Alliance Rally Point**

"Roland? Can you get me a comm line to Admiral Ackbar's ship?" asked Lasky.

The yellow holographic avatar of a 1940's Royal Air force aviator, complete with heavy coat, leather cap, and goggles, popped up on a holotank near the Admiral. "Sure thing Admiral, patching you through now."

Over the comlink in Lasky's ear came the gravelly voice of the Mon Calamari. "Admiral Lasky, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Just a question: How good is the sensor system aboard you ship?" he asked

Almost immediately, and with a small hint of pride, Ackbar replied "Only the best in the fleet. We stole it from an Imperial Star Destroyer, than our technicians modified it, making it even better."

"So you're saying that if your sensors can't detect something, than the Imperial's wouldn't be able to either?" questions Lasky.

"Well in theory, yes, but why do you ask?" said Ackbar.

"I wanted to run a little test. If you would so humor me Admiral, could you have your sensor suite do a complete scan of the coordinates I just sent, full spectrum." said the UNSC commander.

"Yes we can, one moment please," after about twenty seconds, Ackbar came back on the line, "We've finished scanning, but I do not see the importance of these coordinates, my sensors did not read anything out of the ordinary."

Lasky smiled victoriously, and said, "Osman, you can come out now."

Seemingly out of nowhere, 160 meters of UNSC Corvette in the form of the _Port Stanley_ deactivated its optical camouflage and active stealth systems and popped up on the sensor screen of _Home One_, causing no small amounts of mouths to open in surprise on the rebel Flagship.

After a moment, a very impressed Ackbar said, "Remarkable... to be able to hide a ship of that size so close to another without being detected. Even we don't have technology like that, and I doubt that the Imperials do either. What do you plan to use this vessel for? Advanced recon?"

"Precisely. Now that we've determined that she's virtually undetectable, the _Port Stanley_, with commando teams embarked, will jump for Kashyyyk within the hour. Its task is to gather solid Intel about the enemy strengths, and to sabotage key systems. The main fleet will be waiting just out-system for the word to attack. Thank you for your time Admiral, and wish us luck."

"You are welcome, and may the Force be with you." Ackbar said, disconnecting the line.

_May the Force be with you...another reference to these 'Jedi'? _He wondered.

"Roland?"

"Still here Admiral," replied the AI.

"Use the data we've acquired from the Star Destroyer and the Alliance and draft me a report about the Jedi. I want to know their origins, their history, strengths, weaknesses, notable members, anything of importance. Also, I want a study done on this power that they use, called 'The Force', mainly what it basically is, and why it makes people so special."

"I'll get right on that Admiral," said Roland. "Have you decided on the teams you're going to send with Osman?"

"Yes I have," Lasky answered. "Inform Crimson and Majestic to transfer to the Port Stanley."

Roland paused for only the briefest of moments,"done Admiral, they are on their way now." Came holographic pilot.

"Did you hear that Osman?" asked Lasky.

From the ONI Captain came, "Yes sir, I'm guessing you have orders for each of the teams?"

"Yes I do, and they are as follows. From the Intel we've gathered, it appears that the Imperial space station in orbit is protected by a shield generator that's located on the ground. Crimson is to find and infiltrate the generator, plant sufficient charges to destroy it, and time the detonation for our arrival in-system. This will open the way for our boarding parties once we begin the attack. The Alliance also said that they have lost contact with a very important group of agents that were sent to Kashyyyk to start an uprising of the natives. Majestic's primary objective will be to infiltrate the main Imperial prison complex, and free all the Wookies that are being held there; a sign of good faith. We do, after all, want to use their planet as a military base. Secondary, the Alliance has reported that they have lost contact with a high-value team of agents sent to Kashyyyk some time ago and Majestic is to ascertain the status of these agents, and if alive, link up with them and make sure they are extracted safely. Osman, you're team's mission is to locate the main Imperial command post, and neutralize any and all key personnel that you come across. Be advised, this is a stealth operation, we don't want the Imperials to become alert before the cavalry arrives."

"Roger that sir, we'll be leaving as soon as we can," replied Osman.

Lasky nodded in approval, "Alright. Best of luck to you Captain. Lasky out."

The link closed, and the UNSC Admiral looked out the viewport into the dark black of space, occasionally punctuated by the running lights of the UNSC, Separatist, and Alliance vessels.

He gave a heavy sigh, then said, "Roland, get me a fleetwide channel, UNSC ships only."

"Right away Admiral, you're live in three seconds." replied the _Infinity_'s AI, holding up three holographic fingers, lowering them one at a time, then pointed at Lasky, signaling that he was broadcasting.

"This is Admiral Thomas Lasky, acting commander of the Sierra-class Battle-group _Keyes_, broadcasting to all UNSC personnel." he began.

All across the fleet, tools were put down, conversations halted, bridge crews postponed diagnostics and tests, and men and women stopped what they were doing in hallways, mess halls, storage rooms, weapons lockers, and private quarters, and listened to their comlinks or nearby intercoms.

"Now I'm not one for giving speeches, but I feel that our current situation warrants one. As all of you know, we've, how do I say, _diverged_ off of our original objective, and not just by a small amount. We're in a completely alien galaxy that we have little knowledge of, cut off from our own, with little chance of resupply or reinforcement, and hundreds of other unknowns. One thing I _do_ know, however, is the steel and courage shown by the UNSC in the face of uncertainty and danger. As of today, the UNSC and Separatist Sangheili are now allies with the Alliance to Restore the Republic in their fight against the Galactic I know many of you are wondering, why are we getting involved in a fight that's not ours? I'll tell you why, the Empire _made_ it our fight when they _murdered _the men and women on the _Scranton_. Some of you had friends, maybe even family that died; I know I'll greatly miss Captain Blanch, he was a good man, and a good friend. To honor their sacrifices, we need to bring the Imperials to justice, and show them that they cannot commit such acts without consequences. And believe me when I say, if even half of what I've read and heard about this Galactic Empire are true then they will not stop with just us. They would go through the wormhole, wherever it is, and do the same to our homes….our families. All without remorse."

Lasky paused for a moment, reflecting on the lives lost from the engagement over Hoth, then continued. "For almost thirty years we were on the run from a power larger than us, stronger than us, more advanced than us, yet still we persevered We've lost so much, and the road to recovery will be long, but let me say this; no longer will we be the ones on the defensive, the ones who are disadvantaged. It's high time we took the fight to the enemy, and tomorrow we will do just that. We will stay in this galaxy and draw a line in the sand from which the Empire will not cross! We will be the vanguard of the UNSC, forward deployed to protect our people from the Tyranny and Evil, but to do that we need a base of operations in this new galaxy, and what better place to get one than from right under the Empire's nose? Tomorrow we will launch an invasion of an Imperial planet known as Kashyyyk. This planet is an Imperial stronghold and will be readily defended by the Empire's forces. They have enslaved the local inhabitants of this world and turned them into a manual labor force. Now I know many of you are not thrilled with the idea of coming to the aid of aliens. What have they ever done for us besides slaughter us in droves? The horrors of the Great War are still fresh for all of us but the species on this planet are not, nor have they ever been Covenant. They have never meant us harm. If we are to survive, not just in this Galaxy but in our own, we will need Allies. And there is no better place to start than here!"

Lasky paused to compose the rest of his argument and eyed the personnel on the bridge around him. They sat riveted to the spot and hung on every word.

"Your respective commanders will brief you on the details of the upcoming mission. All I ask that you show the same courage, determination, and loyalty in the days to come that you have demonstrated in the past. The Empire will likely throw everything it can at us and it is likely the road ahead will be long and arduous. So get some rest, eat well, and make sure your equipment is in working order for tomorrow we will show that the UNSC is a force to be reckoned with. Lasky out."

All across the fleet, personnel nodded their heads, brows set in grim determination, and started going about their business with a new sense of pride and purpose.

* * *

**Bridge of UNSC _Port Stanley,_**** Slipspace, en route to Kashyyyk**

"Captain, we'll be exiting slipspace outside Imperial sensor range in thirty seconds. The teams are saddled up in _Tart-Cart_ and are ready to deploy to the surface on your order."

Osman just nodded, and counted down the seconds. It wasn't long until the solid black of the Eleventh-Dimension gave way, and the ONI Captain was allowed her first glimpse of Kashyyyk.

She wasn't too surprised, she had read the planets file from the Alliance records, yet Osman continued to be amazed by the idea that there we're so many more worlds much like humanities homeworld that could hold life so alien…yet so familiar. It was something she and the rest of humanity was going to have to get used.

The planet was large, larger than Earth, that had massive seas and continents covered in the lush green of sprawling forests with trees as tall as Skyscrapers if the intelligence reports were to be believed. The sun was just lowering over the far side of the planet, creating an outline of brilliant oranges, reds, and yellows on the planet's upper edge. On the night side the harsh white light of manmade structures could be seen from orbit.

Despite the planets strangely mesmerizing beauty, Osman was looking for something in particular, namely the Imperial presence in-system; their patrol patterns. The strength of their naval assets and troop locations, readiness and key locations.

"What do we have BB?" she asked.

"Passive sensor readings are just coming back, marking twenty-eight enemy ships, eight Indiana-classes, twelve Victor-classes, eight Tango-classes, and numerous starfighter squadrons. They all seem to be holding position in formation around the Imperial space station, no sign of either patrols or pickets within the system at large."

"No patrols? I guess they really are the arrogant sons a bitches that Lasky made them out to be. All the better for us though, have you calculated a best vector of approach?"

"Yes Captain, initiating now," said BB.

The deck shook slightly under Osman's feet, signaling that they were accelerating, but at a slow pace. Even though they had determined that the _Stanley _couldn't be detected by basic sensor scans, Osman wasn't willing to take any chances. The ship was running dark, and unnecessary systems like lights, and the artificial gravity were currently inactive.

This didn't affect Osman though, as she was strapped into her command chair, genetically-enhanced vision helping her see in the emergency lighting that bathed the bridge in a soft red, one of the only things that she had retained from that disaster of a surgery.

"I've detected a small blind spot where the Imperial scanners don't reach; I am unable to determine if this is a legitimate weakness or one manufactured by our enemy. However given what we have been briefed by the Alliance heads and what we have observed of enemy behavior I am likely to lean toward negligence on the enemy's part. I figure it would be the perfect spot to deploy our teams."

Osman didn't respond right away, instead she took a long moment the enemy's deployments…or rather their _lack_ of one. No commander in the UNSC would ever be this negligent in their defense of a star system, particularly a strategically vital system such as Kashyyyk. Osman almost couldn't believe what she was seeing wasn't a deliberate trap and almost spoke to that fact. But the more she thought about it. The more she analyzed everything she'd read, heard studied on this 'Galactic Empire' led her to believe that his was in fact a legit weakness…'manufactured' by their enemy's _negligence!_ It was simply astounding.

The Galactic Empire viewed itself as the top dog of this Galaxy, smug and self assured of their primacy. Today they were about to learn otherwise.

"I agree," said Osman after another moments consideration, "Tell _Tart-Cart_ to be ready to launch."

* * *

Inside the troop-bay of the _Tart-Cart_, a heavily modified D79H-TC Pelican Dropship re-purposed for stealth operations, sat the three teams that would undertake in the pre-assault of Kashyyyk.

First was Majestic squad, a fireteam of five Spartan-IV's under the command of team leader Paul DeMarco. While fully-capable of conducting stealth-oriented operations, like they would have to do soon enough, Majestic was usually deployed in a different manner: a very loud, yet extremely lethal, distraction. It has proven incredibly effective to have the five-man squad, often with the help of vehicles like Mantis's, Scorpions, or Warthogs, draw off large portions of enemy forces so that in the ensuing chaos, smaller teams could penetrate through the engagement lines to inflict massive damage from behind.

In fact, one of those smaller teams was in the troop-bay right now, Crimson Squad. Considering themselves to be experts in what they called the three S's, Stealth, Subterfuge, and Sabotage, the three members of Crimson had trained together for years to become one of the UNSC's moth lethal, yet silent, Spartan-IV teams. The squads expert sniper and scout, MacKenzie, Mac for short, sported a modified 99-S5 Sniper Rifle whose barrel was internally suppressed, with a large flash-hider on the end, and an Asymmetric Recoilless Carbine-920, more commonly known as the Railgun. She was deadly accurate at almost any range, and almost any situation. In fact, there was probably only one other person in the UNSC who could best her in her trade, the Spartan-II's, Linda-058. Next up was Bradley, the teams slicer and CQB specialist, who packed a silenced MA5K Carbine with an underslung shotgun attachment, a M363 Remote Projectile Detonator, and a small pouch on his belt containing his hacking equipment. On each of his gauntlets was an energy cutlass, both of which he had "appropriated" from Sanghieli members of the Storm during Crimson's stint of Requiem. Lastly was Jake, the squad leader, rifleman, and heavy weapons specialist. Jake carried a silenced DMR, and for the times when stealth was no longer an option, an M6 Grindell/Galilean Nonlinear Rifle, or more simply, the Spartan Laser. They all carried an M6C/SOCOM variant as their sidearm.

The final team was Captain Osman's own team, Kilo-5, consisting of the Spartan-II Naomi-010, and the two ODST's Vasily Beloi and Malory Geffen. Vaz and Mal, respectively, had both agreed to undergo minor surgical augmentation to improve their speed, strength, reaction time, and other traits, although nothing on the level of what the Spartan's went through. Though not as highly trained or skilled as the Spartan's present, they were still extremely capable soldiers in their own right, and they had developed a close working bond with Naomi.

And so they sat in the troop-bay, Majestic on one side, and Crimson with Kilo-5 on the other.

Madsen, one of the members of Majestic, tapped the shoulder of DeMarco, and the two opened up a comm channel with the rest of the squad.

"Is it just me, or is Crimson giving anyone else the creeps? I mean just look at 'em! They've barely even moved the whole ride." said Madsen.

His friend's comment gave DeMarco cause to examine the other Spartan squad a little more closely, from behind the relative safety of his reflective visor of course, and sure enough the three super-soldiers sat as still as statues, their photo-reactive panels integrated onto their amour (specifically requested by Crimson to act as a back-up stealth system should their active camouflage fail) mimicking the dull red bay lighting.

"There does seem to be something off about them." DeMarco finally said.

In her distinctive Irish accent, Tedra Grant mockingly said "Oh come off it, you're just sayin' that because you're afraid that they'll kick your arse."

"Oh I know they could kick my ass, did you know that each of them is rated Hyper-Lethal?" stated DeMarco.

"Hyper-Lethal? Damn..." said another member of Majestic, Hoya, in his characteristically deep voice.

Just then, Devereaux, _Tart-Cart_'s pilot, said over the intercom, "ETA to Drop Zone Alpha in one minute, Crimson, get ready to jump."

The three members of Crimson stood, and attached extra-heavy duty UNSC atmospheric parachutes to their back, and then checked eachother's equipment, weapons, and most importantly, the parachute, to make sure everything was connected and secured. Crimson would perform a tactic that had been in use as early as the twenty-first century by Special Forces and paratroopers, a HALO, or High Altitude

Low Opening, jump. They would jump at 30,000 feet above their objective, free-fall at terminal velocity until their parachutes automatically deployed at a pre-determined altitude under the range of Imperial sensors. The combination of high downward speed, along with Crimson's own sensor-absorbing armor would serve to hide them until their chutes opened, when they would then proceed to the ground.

'Thirty seconds, opening bay door," said Devereaux.

With a hydraulic hiss, the Pelican's back door opened, revealing the inky blackness of night, and air rushed through the troop bay, the red lighting now off to help keep _Tart-Cart_ undetected.

Crimson stacked up by the edge in a single-file line, MacKenzie in front, Bradley in the middle, and Jake in the rear, in order to watch over the rest of his team.

When the timer in the top left of Crimson's HUD's reached zero, and Devereaux yelled "Go! Go! Go!" over their comm channel, the three Spartan's jumped over the edge into the Kashyyyk night.

They maneuvered into formation, a roughly diagonal line, with each member a little above and behind the other, arms and legs spread in standard free-fall position.

They fell in silence for several minutes, until it came time to deploy their parachutes, which went off without a hitch.

Crimson landed perfectly in a small clearing about two miles from their objective, and after a quick check to ensure that they were alone, quickly gathered up their parachutes, and buried them in nearby bushes.

They then activated their active camouflage, and upon seemingly disappearing into thin air, started to make their way towards the objective, the shield generator, two miles away through the massive forests of the world. The Wroshyre trees of this world were colossal in nature. During their pre-mission planning Crimson had been briefed on the nature of the Wroshyre trees, yet it hadn't really sunk in. But seeing was believing, and as Crimson took a moment to take in the majesty of it all, they couldn't help but be impressed.

And then the moment was done and Crimson was on the move.

They made it to the generator complex with no major hassles avoiding the natural nocturnal predators and Imperial patrols in the forests, and were now at the edge of a large clearing looking at the back door of their objective roughly 100 meters away. The door itself was about as large as the exit ramp of a Pelican, with a small terminal on a side wall, and two white-armored "Stormtroopers" milling about on either side of it.

Crimson just waited just inside the forest boundary, observing their soon-to-be entrance and the surrounding area, and formulating a plan.

"I didn't happen to see any surveillance cameras. They must be relying on their white wonders to report anything out of the ordinary." observed MacKenzie, after giving the area a thorough search through her sniper scope.

"Well we'd better not give them any time to report then, should we? Mac, take the one on the left, I'll get the one on the right. Brad? Be ready to rush the door and access that terminal." said Jake.

Green status lights winked, and Jake centered the reticule of his DMR right between the T-shaped visor of the Imperial Stormtrooper. "On my mark... mark." There were two silent coughs, and the two hypersonic rounds form Mac and Jake's weapons penetrated the trooper's helmets with ease, shattering them, painting the wall behind them with blood, brain matter, and fragments of bone and plastoid.

At the same time the shots were fired, Brad burst from cover, and in a few quick strides accelerated to his top speed of almost 50 kph, reaching the door in a matter of seconds. He immediately took a small datapad out of a pouch on his belt, and got to work at the terminal. Brad had made sure that he had gotten an in-depth lesson of the electronic systems that the Imperials employed form Black-Box, and with the help of his new-found knowledge, after a few seconds of working radioed, "I'm in."

Jake and Mac soon joined him at the door, Mac facing outwards towards the forest, watching their back.

"I've hacked into their security systems; we haven't been detected so far. I'll be feeding their surveillance teams loops in areas that we're operating in, and I've accessed the schematics for the place, uploading them now. It looks like there are three systems that we need to destroy in order to cause a catastrophic failure, the main reactor, the backup reactor, and the shield transmitter. Recommend we split up to maximize effectiveness." Brad suggested.

"Agreed. Mac, you'll take the back-up reactor, Brad, you have the transmitter, and I'll get the main reactor. Radio silence until you complete your objective, or you get into trouble. Are we ready?"

Green status lights flashed. "Good. Open the door."

* * *

Twenty miles away outside the Imperial Palace, Mallory Geffen observed a dinner party from his over-watch position through his sniper scope on a tree about 500 meters away from the complex.

"Bloody arrogant pricks, having an outward facing window towards the forest. My grandmother could make this shot." Mal said.

Patrols in this area were remarkably sparse, so much so that Kilo-5 felt they had quite blatantly waltzed through the enemy's front door and yet still hadn't been detected.

"_Da_, not the best of tactical decisions, which they'll be finding out soon enough." said Vaz, who was on the ground near the tree making sure that no one snuck up on the two.

In the Imperial Palace, there was a large sort of dance and dinner taking place. Officers were decked out in full dress uniform, eating from platters being carried by waiters and drinking what Mal assumed to be alcoholic beverages from ornate glasses. Green and blue-skinned humanoids with long head-tails danced around in scantily clad clothing, while strange aliens with overly large craniums played exotic looking instruments on an elevated stage in the back of the room. There were a few stormtroopers standing guard, there bleach-white armour easily identifying them, but there were not enough to prevent the impending doom of the Imperial officers in the hall.

"I'm in position," came the voice of Naomi over the comms.

Mal switched his view 40 meters above the window to the roof of the palace, where the SMART-link of his Oracle scope registered with a special IR patch embedded into the Naomi's armor, allowing him to see her position, despite her active camouflage.

He took a quick look around the surrounding area, making sure that there was no one observing the wall between the roof and the window, and said, "Roger that, you're clear to proceed."

Naomi's green status light flashed, and she attached a rappel line to the lip of the roof, then hooked it to her belt. She carefully cleared the ledge, and proceeded to walk down the side of the wall towards the window. Just before she got there, the Spartan inverted herself, so that now her head was pointing down, and withdrew a specialized shaped charge from a pouch on her belt.

This block of C-12 High explosive had its own miniature active camouflage generator, and once activated, would hide the charge from visual detection. Naomi pressed the button that would engage the camo, and watched the C-12 shimmer, then disappear, with only its weight signifying that she still held it. She crept downwards to the top of the large window, and slow as a snail, affixed the explosive about two feet from below the top. Naomi then pulled herself back up via the rope, and flipped back around right-side up.

She brought up the detonation code in her HUD, and opened a channel to Osman, who was waiting in orbit.

"Kilo-5 to command, we're in position."

* * *

In a separate location, isolated from the Imperial garrison in a large clearing of the forest, sat a sprawling prison complex that housed thousands of Wookies, who were currently enslaved by the Empire for manual labor.

"Damn, look at the size of this place." commented Hoya, voicing the rest of the Majestic's, who was hidden just within the forest, thoughts.

The prison was indeed large; it spanned almost five square kilometers, and had multiple stories, the neat, angular walls of the facility bellying the suffering that was taking place inside.

"Alright Majestic listen up." commanded DeMarco. "Schematics we got from the Alliance show that this place has a central command post that controls almost the entire prison. When Osman gives the go ahead, we're going in fast and loud and taking it over. Once we're in, we'll find a way to release all the Wookie prisoners, and see if we can't find our missing VIP's. Thorne, that'll be your job. Then we'll assist in the elimination of the Imperial forces, and determine the identity of the Wookie leader and establish communications. Got it?"

Four green status lights flashed.

"Good. Hold position until the Captain radios the go." said DeMarco. _Those Imperial bastards won't know what hit em._

* * *

After five minutes of stalking through hallways and evading the occasional patrol or guard, Brad found himself just inside the transmitter room. It was rather large, single story, maybe the size of a basketball court, and rows of five-meter tall terminals created a myriad of passages and walkways. In the middle of the room however, was a large, transparent, cylindrical pipe that was humming with blue energy. Other, smaller pipes, wires, and cables ran from the large terminals around the room into a central control panel near the bottom of the main pipe.

After a quick check of his motion tracker, which came back clear, Brad began to plant charges on the main pipe and on a few terminals. He smiled beneath his visor, recalling a saying regarding explosives that dated back to 21st century EOD teams. _When in doubt, blow shit up._

Once he was finished, he flashed his green status light three times in quick succession, the signal that he had planted the charges and was on his way out.

Jake's light blinked green once, _Affirmative_.

Brad was in the process of exfilling, and he was in the middle of a hallyway when he spotted two red dots on his motion trackers, closer than he would have liked. He froze in place, and two stormtroopers rounded a corner about twenty meters in front of him, then started walking towards the near-invisible Spartan.

He flashed his status light yellow, _hostiles encountered_, and started inching towards the wall, hoping that the two troopers wouldn't see him.

"Did you hear that Blastech's coming out with a new line of rifles?" he heard one say.

"Really? I've grown pretty fond of my E-11 though..." said the other.

Suddenly, a metal can on one of the stormtrooper's belts malfunctioned, and started spraying white foam everywhere.

The trooper looked downwards to his belt, disconnected the offending container and put a hand over the rupture, trying to stem the tide of foam. "Fierfek, who ever made these fire-suppression cans needs to be blasted, this is the second time this week-"

His partner urgently tapped him on the shoulder, and they both looked ahead to where instead of falling to the ground like it should have, some of the foam seemed to be floating in mid-air.

Brad de-cloaked, and used the brief hesitation shown by the troopers, no doubt due to seeing a fully armed and armored warrior materialize right in front of them as if from thin air, to his advantage, activating the energy cutlass on his left hand and punching foam-trooper right in the face.

Normally, the amount of kinetic force that a Spartan-IV was able to generate with a single punch was more than enough to outright kill, even decapitate, an individual. Add a miniature energy-sword into the mix, and the results were predictable, yet still gruesome.

The cutlass burrowed into the stormtrooper's visor, melting the plastic and penetrating into the brain, the intense heat instantly liquefying it, killing the man instantly.

The other trooper raised his blaster rifle and fired at Brad, but he ducked out of the way of the bolt, leaving it to impact against the wall, scoring it with carbon.

Brad withdrew his hand from the dead troopers face and slashed at the others throat, the plasma blade slicing through the black bodysuit with ease, cutting a deep gouge into the man's neck. There was no blood, as the properties of the blade resulted in immediate cauterization, and the white-armored soldiers fell to the deck with heavy thuds.

A flash of movement from the corner that the troopers had appeared from caught Brad's eye, and he snapped his head towards it.

It was a small black box-like thing with four wheels, maybe six inches tall. It had barely rounded the corner, and what Brad assumed to be it's "front" was staring right at him and the carnage he had caused. The little robot gave a high pitched squeal, and Brad drew his M6C/SOCOM to put an end to the annoying sound, but the thing had already retreated behind the corner and out of sight.

_Fuck_, he thought, and he raced after it, flashing his red status light, _I've been spotted. _

He slid around the corner into another hallway, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw what was occupying it with him.

It looked like a stormtrooper, but was much taller, maybe two and a half meters, and bulkier, specifically around the chest area.

Its armor was painted a dull charcoal black, and wielded a nasty looking long-barreled weapon, closely resembling the venerable Browning .50 Caliber HMG.

"Brad? What's your status?" questioned Jake over the comm channel.

"INTRUDER!" yelled the black-armored soldier in a deep, synthesized male voice, raising its weapon at Brad.

"I've been compromised!" Brad reported tersely, and his opponent fired a burst of emerald lasers right at him.

As adrenaline flooded through his system, time seemed to slow down for the Brad, but his mind and body kept working at almost the same pace. Spartan Time.

_That heavy weapon will tear me apart, I need to get in close, negate his _advantage, Brad thought. He dived to his right towards the thing at an angle barely missing the laser bolts, which brought his shields down by half due to the sheer heat they gave off. Rolling up to a knee, he fired a round from his assault rifle's shotgun attachment at the troopers leg, the eight-gauge pellets having no noticeable effect, which, then dived at it.

It felt like hitting a Titanium-A wall, but the sheer force of the tackle caused the Dark Trooper to at least somewhat stagger. Using one of his favorite grappling techniques, Brad hooked the troopers ankle with his right leg, came out front, and shot his left arm through the gap between the troopers legs.

Brad used his new-found leverage to his advantage, bringing the Dark Trooper crashing to the ground, sending both of their weapons skittering across the floor. He activated his right energy cutlass, and aimed to bury it under his opponent's chin, only to have the plasma blade deflected to the side. _Energy shielding?_

He was in the middle of reconsidering his options when the trooper delivered a vicious knee to Brad's groin area, fully draining his shields and causing the Spartan to grunt in pain, the corners of his vision turning a slight red.

The Dark Trooper then did something that surprised Brad; it activated a back-mounted Jet Pack, and slid out from underneath him in a burst of thrusters, picking up its weapon on the way.

Brad could only stare at the long, black end of the barrel, and wait for it all to end... until the troopers' upper body was completely vaporized by a ruby red beam of laser energy.

Brad looked down the hallway for his savior, and saw that it was none other than Jake, a still smoking Spartan Laser on his shoulder.

The team leader returned the laser to his back, and jogged over to Brad, helping him up.

"Come on, that trooper activated the alarm, we've got to go. Mac's waiting for us outside." Jake said.

"What was that thing?" the CQC specialist asked.

"Dark Trooper Phase II, it's the next version of what Blue team encountered on the _Accuser_." Jake answered. He then opened up a comm channel to Captain Osman, saying "Command, this is Crimson. We completed our objective, but we've been compromised. Recommend procedure of the other operations."

After a slight pause, Osman responded, "Roger, get to minimum safe distance and then blow the charges. BB, send this message to Lasky, Majestic and Kilo-5: Take Take Take..."

* * *

"...Take Take Take."

Those were the words Naomi had been waiting for. She sent the detonation to the charge on the window, and it summarily exploded, the shaped charge directing the blast inwards completely shattering the window and sending fragments of glass flying everywhere, giving many of the inhabitants anywhere from minor cuts and scrapes, to the gouging flesh. Naomi tossed in a flashbang and followed right after it, her polarized visor and internal sound dampeners countering the effect of the blast.

The Imperial officers were not so lucky however, the brilliant light and deafening roar causing them to go temporarily blind and fall on the floor, blood running down their faces from ruptured eardrums.

A series of four cracks from Mal's sniper rifle signifying the end of the stormtroopers guards.

It was then when Naomi unhooked a pair of SMG's from her hips, and went about her bloody work.

With no hesitation or sense of remorse, the Spartan-II went around and shot every one of the Imperial officers, their cries for mercy falling upon deaf ears. A few chose to die bravely, and attempted to reach for their blaster pistols, but were unable to accomplish anything as Naomi recognized the threat and filled their bodies with lead.

It was all over in a matter of seconds, and once her job had been completed, Naomi jumped back out the window and ran towards the forest for safety.

Only the dancers, waiters, and the band were left alive; they wanted witnesses to spread the word of how almost the entire Imperial high command had been eliminated in such a short period of time, and in so gruesome a manner.

In a few moments when the survivors recovered, all they could do was look at the shattered and maimed bodies lying on the floor in pools of their own blood, and wonder what sort of monster could have done such a thing.

"This is Kilo-5 to command, objective complete." the Spartan said.

A ways away she heard an explosion, a large one at that, its shockwave rustling leaves and blowing wind all the way to her position some twenty miles away. A curiously colored fireball, the usual vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges, combining with a bright, electric blue, lit up the night sky.

After a few seconds, Naomi heard through the comm, "This is Crimson, shield generator has been eliminated."

"Acknowledged, good work teams, head to the extraction point. And has anyone heard from Majestic lately?"

* * *

"...Take Take Take."

"Alright Majestic, that's our que. Hoya! Make a hole!" said DeMarco.

"With pleasure," he responded, lifting a M41 SSR MAV/AW Rocket Launcher and fired two 102mm HE shaped charges right at the wall 150 meters away, while Thorne fired a series of smoke grenades from his M319 Individual Grenade Launcher along their avenue of approach.

While the reinforced wall was able to withstand most of the force from the first rocket, it was not able to weather the second, and in a large explosion the wall blew inwards, leaving a gaping, jagged hole through which Majestic would make their entrance.

"There's our opening, Go! Go! Go!" yelled DeMarco, waving his hand forwards.

Guards on top of the wall rushed to the scene, and started firing blindly into the smoke. However, due to the vision-obscuring smoke, the fact that MJOLNIR armor gave almost no heat signatures, and the speed with which the Spartan's were running, they might as well have been firing into space.

Majestic, although, was not affected by these hindrances, their own thermal vision and VISR systems easily identifying their attackers, and deadly precise return fire soon halted enemy blasterfire.

The fireteam made it to the wall and jumped through the hole, finding themselves in a medium-sized corridor. There were a few bewildered looking stormtroopers near a door thirty meters away, but there were easily dispatched with a few well-aimed bursts.

"Tedra! Which way to the command center?" asked DeMarco.

The red-haired Spartan tapped the tacpad on her gauntlet a few times, then said, "This way! Follow me!"

She took off down the corridor, and the rest of Majestic followed suit, Tedra shouting out directions as the squad turned left and right though hallways, burst through doors, and bounded up and down stairways.

The sheer speed with Majestic moved meant that encountered little organized resistance. Small pockets of enemies were quickly eliminated without stopping, while larger groups were just bypassed entirely.

Although reinforcements sent to stop the Spartans were ineffective, (by the time they got to where they were orders, Majestic was already gone, leaving only dead bodies and spent shell casings in their wake) based on their troopers contact reports, the Imperial commanders of the prison were able to deduce where they were heading- right for them. So they did the only thing they could do, hunkered down, blasters pointed at the centers only door.

"Left here, and it'll be right in front of us." said Tedra, and the Spartan's turned the corner, weapons raised.

The command center was a large, circular room, encompassed by a circular hallway that ran it's entire circumference. It looked almost like top-down view of a doughnut, with the actual doughnut part being the hallway and the command center being the hole. There was a single, heavy blast door, evidently locked, that was barring Majestic squads entrance.

"They'll be expecting us through that door DeMarco," observed Thorne.

"Then I guess we should create some new ones then. Set up breaching charges around the room, I want four different holes. Thorne, do you still have that Hardlight Shield?" DeMarco asked.

Thorne nodded, and DeMarco continued, "Okay, Thorne, you'll breach the main door first, draw their attention so we can surprise them. Use your shield to make sure you don't get fried, will ya?"

With that Majestic went to their separate locations, and Thorne placed a heavy duty breaching charge on the blast door, remembering sure to make as much noise as possible.

"On your mark, Thorne." said DeMarco.

He waited a couple of seconds and backed off the door a few paces, then said, "Mark!" and activated the charge.

The door flew inward in an explosion of fire and smoke, and Thorn immediately activated his Hardlight Shield, a rectangular barrier of transparent blue light one photon thick forming in front of him.

A flurry of red laser bolts poured at him, only to be deflected back into the room, impacting monitors, walls, or in a few unluckier cases, those who had fired them.

It was then when the rest of Majestic detonated their charges, and the resulting attack from five different directions proved too much for the Imperials to handle, and the battle was soon over.

"Good job Majestic." DeMarco said. He then looked at Thorne and pointed to an intact computer terminal, "Thorne, get to work."

"Yes sir." replied the Spartan, before rushing over to the terminal to begin typing away.

Madsen was policing some of the bodies when something caught his eye in one of the pockets of an Imperial officer. He fished inside one of them, and pulled out two sleek, silver cylinders.

Noticing Madsen's new discovery, Hoya reached out to grab one, saying, "My my, well what do we have here?"

"Hey, Hey! Paws off Hoya, finders keepers." Madsen declared, jerking the cylinders away from the prying hands of his teammate.

"Hey look, there's a button on the side of it. I wonder what it does?" observed Tedra.

Madsen looked at DeMarco, head cocked, and asked, "Permission to press the button sir?"

"Are you serious, Madsen? You could be holding an explosive for all we know! Permission _denied_, hand 'em over." DeMarco instantly replied.

"You're no fun, DeMarco." Madsen grumbled, and grudgingly gave his commander the two objects, which DeMarco attached to his hip.

Just then, Thorne piped up, his voice triumphant. "I've got it! The cell blocks containing all of the Wookies have been opened, as well as the door to the armory, which upon further review, should have been placed farther from the cells. Also, I've located our VIP's. They're still alive, but they're in three different locations throughout the prison, I'm uploading coordinates to your HUD's now, labeled Prisoner A, B, and C."

DeMarco walked over to Thorne and clapped him on the back. "Good work Spartan. Alright, here's what were going to do. It looks like Prisoner's B and C are on the way to each other, so Tedra, Madsen and I will go get them. Thorne, you and Hoya have Prisoner A. Report in when you reach them, and we'll rally at this courtyard here. Get moving Majestic."

The team split up, and ran their separate ways.

* * *

**Imperial Prison Cell, Kashyyyk Prison**

Starkiller didn't remember, couldn't remember where he was, why he was here, or even where here was.

His hands were cuffed, but he didn't know why, or how they had gotten that way.

There was something around his neck, but he didn't know what it did or why it was there.

Why was he here? What did he do?

He gasped in pain, wondering why his body hurt so much.

He tried to remember, a face, a name of a woman who must have meant something to him but just as he thought he was getting close, he forgot.

Or at least he thought he forgot.

Why were his legs cuffed? Did he do something wrong?

Was there something on his neck?

He didn't know, he didn't know anything, couldn't remember anything...

Where was he? And why was he in restraints?

Most important, why was the door open?

* * *

Upon entering Starkiller's cell, Hoya let out a low whistle.

Thorn grimaced beneath his helmet, and opened up a channel to DeMarco. "Hoya and I have located Prisoner A, but be advised, he looks to be in pretty bad shape."

Indeed he was too, Starkiller was strapped down to a metal table by his arms and legs, and aside from wearing dirty trousers, was naked from the wait up. Bruises and cuts covered his chest, arms, legs, and face, and one eye was black, with the other a sickly yellow, almost completely swollen up. He looked like he had been tortured for a long time and the last session had ended not so long ago. He was deathly pale, seemed to be laboriously breathing, and was emaciated from lack of proper hydration and nutrition. There was an IV line hooked into his left arm, no doubt pumping chemicals into his system from a machine nearby to help keep him sedated and controlled.

"Acknowledged. See if you can't free him, and meet at the rally point. Knock him out with a sedative and carry him if you have to." said DeMarco.

Thorn walked over to the table, and tested the strength of the prisoner's bonds. Even without pulling very hard, he could feel them begin to loosen. He signaled Hoya to take the leg restraints, and the metal clamps popped off the table with resounding clanks. Thorne also pulled out the IV line, and looking at the collar affixed to the prisoners neck, asked Hoya, "What do you think this is for? It's not physically restraining him, at least from what I can see."

"I don't know, but whatever it is probably isn't good. See if you can get it off." suggested Hoya.

Thorne knew he probably wouldn't be able to get the collar off by force, so he looked for a release point, which he found in the form of a small button on the very back of the collar. He pressed it, causing the device to release, and Thorne took it off, throwing it in the corner of the cell.

The Spartan was about to pull a sedative out of his belt, when suddenly he noticed that the prisoner's eyes had gone from glazed and unfocused, to clear and alert.

They darted to and from Thorne and Hoya, before with seemingly _inhuman_ speed, the prisoner leapt up off the table, grabbed Thorne by the neck, lifted him up, and slammed him into the wall, denting it.

Now it should have been impossible for a human to lift a Spartan in full armor, almost a single metric ton, a meter into the air and generate enough power to make a dent in the wall, all with one hand, and for the split-second that the action had taken place, Thorne was left wondering what the _hell_ was going on.

Hoya's weapon was up in a flash, but with a flick of the prisoner's free wrist, it was sent flying out of the Spartan's hands and into the wall.

Thorne had regained enough of his senses by this point to try to calm down their package, "Woah Woah Woah! We're on your side! We've been sent to rescue you!"

The man looked at Thorn for a moment, and it felt like his dark brown eyes were looking right through his visor and into his very soul. He then glanced at Hoya, who had his hands raised in a gesture of peace, and released Thorne back to the ground.

"Juno," the man spoke, "I have to find, Juno."

He then took off through the door and down the hall, leaving two bewildered Spartans alone in the cell.

"What the hell was THAT!?" Hoya yelled, picking back up his Shotgun off the floor.

"I don't know, but come on! We've got to follow him!" Thorne answered, before setting off after their "escaped" prisoner.

He was fast, faster than he should have been, and even the two Spartans had trouble just keeping up with him.

DeMarco's voice came over the comm, "We have secured prisoners Bravo and Charlie, and are making our way to the courtyard. Thorne, what's the status on prisoner Alpha? Is he stable?"

"He's more than stable. DeMarco. He's running full blast right towards the courtyard from the looks of it. Oh, and he may or may not have thrown Thorne into a wall with his bare hand." said Hoya in between breaths.

DeMarco didn't respond for a full three seconds, and when he did the confusion was clearly etched in his voice. "What? I thought you had just told me that he was incapacitated?"

"I feel like I don't know anything these days," Thorne said exasperatedly.

The two Spartan's saw their prisoner round a corner, the very same that would lead into the courtyard they were supposed to meet at.

"We're at the rally point, where are you guys?" questioned Hoya, as the two Spartans finally caught up with the prisoner, who didn't seem to be winded in the slightest from his mad dash from the cell.

"Almost there, we should see you right about... now."

Sure enough, the other three members of Majestic appeared from an open doorway eighty meters away on the other side of the yard. With them was an attractive blond woman in a tan tunic, carrying a blaster rifle she must have picked up along the way, and an aging man in battered light armor, who was leaning on Tedra's shoulders, obviously injured.

Upon the sighting of his comrades, their prisoner's face seemed to light up, his features being flooded with relief.

"Juno!" he called, taking a step forward, but out of nowhere, the ground started to shake beneath them, causing all present to stumble a little.

The middle of the courtyard started to part in two halves, revealing itself to be a ground-based door, and with a whir of machinery, a large, circular platform started to ascend from its underground perch, and stopped at ground level.

It was what was on the platform, however, that caused even the veteran Spartan's of Majestic to hesitate.

Sixteen fully operation Phase II Dark Troopers in their menacing charcoal-black armor stood on the platform, each wielding various models of what could only be heavy weaponry.

In a haunting synthesized voice, one of the troopers yelled through external speakers on its helmet, "STARKILLER! UNDER THE ORDER OF LORD VADER YOU AND YOUR ASSOCIATES ARE TO SURRENDER IMMEDIATLY OR BE TERMINATED."

"Who the hell is Starkiller?" asked Hoya, puzzled.

The prisoner Throne and Hoya had been "escorting" turned around and looked at them, a wicked grin on his face, veins bulging from his emaciated skin.

"I am!"

He extended his arm in the direction of DeMarco, and the two metal cylinders that they had found earlier came flying off of the Spartan's hip, and into Starkiller's hands.

With a double *snap hiss*, he activated the cylinders, and a meter-long beam of blue energy sprang out of the ends, giving a deep hum.

"So that's what they do..." Madsen commented.

Starkiller then charged right at the squadron of droids, the light-swords held in a reverse grip.

"What the hell is he doing?!" DeMarco demanded, obviously astounded at the sight of a half naked man running towards what should be his certain death with wild abandon.

* * *

The moment he had been freed from his restraints, Starkiller felt the Force roar back into him with a vengeance, replenishing his strength, and staving off the worst of his injuries. Months of imprisonment on Kashyyyk may have weakened his physical body but it had done nothing to weaken his connection to the Force. Demarco's question was soon answered when Starkiller jumped incredibly high into the air, at least thirty meters, before coming down on one of the droids, his dual swords cleaving right through the trooper, slicing him into three pieces. With a gesture of his hand, he then sent those three pieces burrowing into the body of another trooper, causing it to fall over, disabled.

The Force flowed in a pristine web of energy around him and from him to everything in the immediate vicinity and beyond. He was instantly alerted to danger when the other troopers started to fire their weapons at him, which he either deflected with his lightsabers or easily dodged out of the way. Drawing on the guidance of the Force Starkiller wielded his blades with such amazing grace and accuracy that it quite literally left the Spartans and their two rescuees hypnotized by the sight. It was like watching a ballerina and gymnast rolled into one, yet each move was designed to have maximum effectiveness in countering the enemy's attacks. Enemy blaster bolts seemed to hit a shield of blue light with some of the shots bouncing harmlessly away into far wars but most being directed back toward his attackers. He was moving so fast that even the Spartans, with their enhanced reaction times, were having trouble tracking his movements.

The four troopers wielding assault cannons _eventually_ decided that firing their missiles would eliminate their target, so they did so. Twelve streams of explosives came soaring at Starkiller.

Not missing a beat, Starkiller switched his laser-reflecting duties form both hands to his left, and raised his now free right hand in the direction of the missiles. Much to the amazement of Majestic, the missiles stopped in mid-air, turned around, and then with a push from Starkiller was sent flying back at the troopers who had fired them, causing them to explode into bits of armor and scorched machinery.

Starkiller then extended his hand at one of the troopers, palm open, and then violently closed it.

The two-and-a-half meter high Dark Trooper shuddered for a split second before violently imploding, some unseen force compacting it into the size of beach ball. With a sweep of his arm, the trooper-ball accelerated to an extremely high velocity and impacted with the upper body of another, shearing it off at the waist in an explosion of metal.

Taking instant advantage of his enemy's vulnerability Starkiller then threw one of his sabers in a spinning arc at another Dark Trooper, cleaving it in two at the waist, before the saber curved around like a boomerang, slicing another droid diagonally on its way back to Starkiller's hand.

The remaining black droids, knowing they had to finish the fight fast, used their jump jets to completely encircle the escaped prisoner.

At first glance Starkiller didn't seem to respond to being surrounded but just as Demarco was about to shout out a warning the air around Starkiller began to distort and ripple like water. Arc of electrical energy danced along this distortion as it took shape in the form of a bubble around Starkiller. He rose slowly from the ground now almost trembling with power and began to levitate in the air. He drew his knees to his chest and crossed his arms over his head as he seemed to form a fetal position in mid air.

The troopers unleashed their weapons on Starkiller, but the heavy laser bolts impacted harmlessly on a pulsing-blue force-field that now surrounded the floating man.

Starkiller began drawing more power to himself, the air rustling around him, the force field now practically singing with torrents of energy, the low base frequency shaking the ground.

Instinctively knowing what was about to happen Thorne did the only thing he could think of, "TAKE COVER!" he yelled.

The Spartans of fire team Majestic snapped out of their stupor and reacted instantly. They shoved their two charges behind a series of crates and as gently as they could placed themselves between them and the explosion of energy that was about to be unleashed. For good measure Thorne planted himself just forward of his squad and the two prisoners, activated his Hardlight Shield, then braced himself.

For a split-second, all was quiet, and then with a mighty guttural roar, Starkiller extended his body outwards, and the field exploded in a violent burst of energy. The Dark Troopers who were still standing were disintegrated into their basic molecular components as the wave of Force power passed over them, as were the broken pieces of the other disabled droids that were within the waves range.

The wave rapidly lost power as it moved beyond the range of the now disintegrated Dark Troopers. Clearly it was only meant to only affect the immediate area but the trailing edge of the energy wave collided with Thorne's Hardlight shield, depleting it instantly. It also had the effect of knocking the Spartan off his feet and onto the ground.

Starkiller fell the three feet from the air onto the ground, landing on a knee, sweat pouring down his body in streams, panting heavily. Despite his connection to the Force open and flowing his physical body was reaching the limits of his endurance. Months of malnutrition and dehydration along with constant physical torture and exhaustion had pushed his body to the extreme of what it could tolerate. And now as the energy and adrenaline drained away, his exhaustion returned in full force.

The Spartans slowly rose into a standing position and just gaped at the sight of this one man who had just defeated over sixteen Dark Troopers…by himself!

Madsen punctuated the silence that had now fallen over the courtyard, "Holy... Living... Fuck!"

Demarco stared in numb confusion, unable to truly comprehend what he had just seen. "Did you guys…see that?!"

Tedra responded in an equally dumbfounded voice "Saw it? Yah,…believing it? I'll get back to you on that one."

The team looked to Hoya who for once was remarkably silent, but like them was no doubt gaping at the young man before them.

Unspoken but not unknown to the team was that their helmet cams had recorded the _entire_ thing from multiple angles. Something that was likely to make Osman and her ONI spooks have kittens when they saw it and pushed past their inevitable disbelief.

Starkiller laboriously got off of his knee, and now standing, slowly walked towards Thorne.

Upon reaching him, he asked the Spartan, "Why didn't you draw on it?"

Confused, Thorne pointed towards his rifle, "Draw what? My weapon?"

Starkiller shook his head, "No, not that, your power."

"My power? What are you talking about?"

Starkiller seemed surprised, and his brows were furrowed in slight puzzlement. "How can you not know? I can sense it inside of you. The Force is strong with you."

All eyes suddenly turned to a very flabbergasted Gabriel Thorne.

"Ah…crap."

* * *

**Now I know exactly what some of you are going to say, and I have one word for you: Precursors.**

**The Precursors were the most advanced race of beings that the Galaxy had every seen, even more so than the Forerunners, and their empire had the capability to manipulate the characteristics of species, planets, solar systems, even galaxies, with relative ease.**

**What if the Precursors had created the life that resides in the Star Wars galaxy, as well as the Halo one?**

**It is theorized that the Precursors were the ones who had created the Flood, as a last resort or a weapon as revenge against the Forerunners during their war, so how far fetched is it really that they could have found a way to tap into the Force, and distributed it amongst the genes of the population?**

**As far as why the Force hasn't been discovered in the Halo universe, I would think that with the firing of the Halo Arrays, all knowledge of it's existence would have been forgotten. Without anyone that had a prior knowledge of the Force, it would have been just sitting dormant in certain individuals, waiting for its potential to be unlocked...**

**Also, let it be noted that without Jon Harper's help, Starkiller's fight scene wouldn't have been half as good as what it was, so thanks a lot for that.**

**Stay tuned for the next chapter, and thanks for reading.**


	8. Chapter 8: Battle for Kashyyyk

**Authors Note: So here it is, Chapter 8. If you have the time, I'd really appreciate if you posted a review, praise, criticism, whatever it may be, it'll just help the quality of this story in the future.**

**As always, special shoutouts to my betas Jon Harper and Sharnorasian Empire for their help.**

**Merry Christmas, and enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but all original content is mine.**

* * *

**Chapter 8: Battle for Kashyyyk**

**Bridge of UNSC Infinity**

**Location: Just outside Kashyyyk system**

**Time: 1200 Hours Standard Military Calendar, Jan. 1st, 2559**

"Admiral! We're getting a message from Captain Osman!" shouted the communications officer.

Lasky tensed a little in his chair, "What does it say?" he asked.

The officer's hands flew over his keyboard, and after a couple of seconds the Osman's voice echoed throughout the bridge.

"Take Take Take."

There was silence for a few seconds, then the bridge crew burst into action.

Lasky burst out of his chair, and started relaying orders. "Send the message to the rest of the fleet, prepare to jump on my command. Ready weapons systems, raise the shields to full strength, and prepare our single-ship squadrons and ground forces for deployment. Sound the call to battle stations, we've got a planet to take."

The bridge exploded into a cacophony of noise and movement, as crew members at various consoles sent and received messages, shouted out diagnostics reports, and brought systems online.

"Roland, bring up _Infinity_ on the secondary holotank." said Lasky, walking over to the corner where it was located.

A miniaturized, holographic version of the ship materialized to life on the table, the soft blue lighting bathing the surrounding area. The aura changed to green as the shields were raised, and various power readings floated off to the sides. Large purple dots represented the _Infinity's _main weapons, the port, starboard, bow, and stern MAC cannons, and the forward energy projector. Medium sized yellow dots signified the _Infinity's_ secondary weapons; the helical rail guns, Onager mass drivers, and Archer, Rapier, and Howler missile pods. Smaller black dots showed the location of the hundreds of 70 mm point-defense cannons, pulse lasers, and countermeasure stations. Finally, dark maroon squares showed the launching points of the ships Shiva nuclear missiles, and Hornet tactical nuclear mines.

"Sir! The other ships are reporting they're ready to jump." called out a bridge officer.

Lasky nodded his head. "Very good. Tell the fleet, we jump in ten seconds."

"Portals opening!" shouted another officer, as large black and purple holes to the eleven dimensions of slipspace materialized in front of the fleet.

The deck shuddered under Lasky's feet as the Forerunner experimental engines propelled the _Infinity_ into the inky darkness.

There was only a few seconds of travel time before the UNSC and Separatist forces dropped out of slipspace in the area above Kashyyyk.

"Sir! Sensor reading are coming back! Enemy vessels at maximum engagement range!" yelled the weapons officer.

On the main holotank, a map of the engagement space was drawn showing the positions of Lasky's ships, the Imperial ships, and the Space Station, which were represented by blue triangles, red triangles, and a large, red square, respectively.

The head of Alliance Intelligence, Commander Cracken, stood in the corner of the bridge, frowning. There were thirty Imperial vessels, twelve of them being the formidable triangle-hulls of the new _Imperial_ I and II-class Star Destroyers. Cracken was more than a little doubtful about the impact their new allies would have against the Imperial forces. Cracken remembered when he had first joined up with the Rebels, he had been so full of confidence and bravado, but years of waging a brutal guerilla war had hardened him, made him skeptical of almost everything. Despite this, Cracken allowed himself a small glimmer of hope, that the UNSC would be able to accomplish what the Alliance hadn't _yet_ been able to do.

Lasky wasted no time in acting, "Fire Howler missiles; pods Alpha-1 through Bravo-26!"

The white contrails of superheated exhaust gasses littered the black void of space, as hundreds of missiles from _Infinity _and the other ships burst from their pods and accelerated towards the Imperials.

The Admiral knew that despite their large numbers the Howler missile would not be very effective, but then again, they weren't meant to be.

According to the Alliance, the shielding system used to protect the starships in this galaxy was slightly different than the ones that the UNSC or Covenant used. Instead of deflecting all types of attacks, the Imperial and Alliance warships utilized two different types of shields. Particle shields were used to protect against kinetic attacks, like missiles or MAC rounds, while ray shields were used to protect against energy-based attacks, like turbolasers, or plasma torpedoes. Needless to say, if ray shields were activated, kinetic attacks would face no resistance, and vice versa.

As such, the Howler missile wave was just a feint, designed to persuade the Imperials to switch to particle shielding.

"Launch our fighter squadrons!"

Hundreds of Broadswords, Longswords, Sabres, Seraphs, Phantoms, and the Alliance X-wings of Rogue Squadron flew out of hangar bays throughout the fleet and took up screening positions.

"Comm the Sangheili, tell them to ready their energy projectors!"

* * *

**Bridge of Imperial Star Destroyer Domination**

**Location: Kashyyyk**

**Time: Moment of UNSC Jump**

"Captain! Fifty-eight unknown ships have appeared 150,000 kilometers distant!"

Captain Tott Varik, who's quick advancement through the ranks of the Imperial Navy was due mainly to the political weight of his father than any merit of his own, turned towards the bridge officer that had detected the ships and said, "Unknown ships? Show me."

The officer tapped a datapad a few times, transferring the data, then handed it to the Captain.

Upon reading the information, Varik's face paled a little. His forces were outnumbered almost two-to-one, and nearly half of the unknown ships were as large, if not larger, than his Star Destroyer. There were three vessels that were almost triple the size of the _Domination_, two looking distinctly alien, with large, bulbous protrusions and a hook-like bow, and the other one looked like a smooth rectangle, with graceful lines and curves.

Varik had always been taught to believe in the absolute power of the Empire, and the assurance that they would always prevail, but right now, the inexperienced Captain was not so sure.

Just then, a red klaxon on the ceiling started flashing, blaring its loud, shrill alarm.

"Captain! We're being targeted! Wait, whats this? They're launching missiles! Hundreds of them!" shouted one officer, the panic being showcased in the slight quiver of his voice.

"Missiles? From this range? Activate our point-defense lasers, and switch to particle shields for those that get through! Send the attack order to our starfighters!" ordered Varik.

Sapphire-green lasers shot from the fleet towards the missiles, followed by hundreds of TIE fighters and bombers. The _Domination_ and her sister ship's shields flashed silver for a moment, then turned red before disappearing, signifying the switch to particle shielding.

The missiles and lasers intercepted in a flurry of contrails and energy, and roughly half of the missiles were neutralized. The nimble TIE fighters dodged out of the way, some skilled pilots even managing to shoot down a missile or two, before continuing their charge towards the enemy fleet.

"Enemy munitions decreased by fifty-four percent Captain! Impact in five seconds!" yelled a station worker.

"Brace yourselves!" Varik said as he placed his hands against a bulkhead.

The remaining Howler missiles, several hundred in fact, impacted on the _Domination_ and other ships of the fleet, causing little if any damage; as the Imperial's particle shields absorbed the numerous detonations without fail. A testament to their superb design and the resilientcy of the Imperial ships.

Varik rocked a little on his feet from the resulting impact, and questioned, "Shield strength!"

"Eighty-six percent!" he heard.

"Weapons! Pick you targets and fire turbolasers at will! Lead target -"

"Captain! Captain! I'm detecting massive energy buildups on eleven of the enemy vessels!"

Varik looked out the forward viewscreen, were highlighted against the darkness of space he could pick up faint pricks of light in the distance. "Ray shields! Do it now!"

"The generators are still recharging! I can't!" exclaimed a frustrated crewman.

Varik turned his attention pack to the dots of light, which had grown tremendously in size from a couple of seconds ago.

"Energy discharge!"

A bright burst of light was the last thing that Varik ever saw.

* * *

**Bridge of UNSC Infinity**

"Confirm on Howler impact! Minor damage detected, mostly cosmetic!" yelled the weapons officer.

Lasky allowed himself a small thought of satisfaction; his ruse had worked, at least for the time being. But he also had to admit he was hoping the Howler strike would have proven a bit more effective, particle shields or not. A Howler strike was nothing to laugh at. And most of the missiles were concentrated on the Imperial class Star Destroyers which were clearly the greater threat. Their ability to simply absorb a salvo of Howlers that would have a CCS class cruiser an expanding debris feild was rather telling of their resiliency.

"Spin up the energy projector! Target lead enemy heavy!" Lasky ordered.

"Target acquired! Projector ready!" was the response

"FIRE!" the Admiral shouted, and the lighting in the bridge dimmed slightly to compensate for the energy needs of the projector.

Two pencil-thin beams of densely pacted particle energy shot out from the _Infinity's_ bow, and crossed the distance between the UNSC and Imperial fleet in an instant. The twin burst of energy impacted the _Domination's _elevated bridge, vaporizing hull plating, decks, and support structures with ease. _Infinity_ adjusted her angle, causing the beams to travel vertically down, effectively vivisecting the Star Destroyer into three floating pieces of molten, derelict metal.

The Sangheili warships fired seconds after, their energy projectors achieving much the same result, and within five seconds, eleven out of the twelve _Imperial _II-class Star Destroyers were nothing but scrap metal.

Cracken's jaw dropped, eyes wide open in surprise. Their new allies had just swatted eleven of the Empire's most powerful warships out of existence like they were no more than flies. Dumbfounded didn't even begin to describe how he felt. _Fierfek._

Lasky was quick to capitalize on his success. "All ships engage! Attack pattern Bravo-Four, flank those ships! Synchronize the fleet to fire one plasma torpedo per MAC round, negate their shields!"

Slipspace portals opened up, and a the smaller ships of the fleet, the Frigates, Destroyers, and Cruisers disappeared, dropping out on either side of the now surrounded Imperials and catching them offguard. The Imperials had never seen aything like Slipspace and were unprpared for the unexpected usage, especially as the fleet began firing their weapons.

The glowing green of turbolasers and heavy laser cannons, the sparkling blue of plasma torpedoes, the streaking flash of MAC rounds, and the gaseous contrails of missiles littered the space between the two fleets.

One of the _Marathon_-class cruisers, designated as the UNSC _Say My Name _accelerated towards the remaining _Imperial_ II-class Star Destroyer, and launched tens of dozens of Archer missiles. The Imperial ship responded in kind, launching a full volley of sapphire turbolasers which impacted harmlessly against the _Say My Name's _shields. The Archer missiles impacted all along the _Imperial_ II Star Destroyer, releasing their forty megaton directed nuclear blasts in light show of explosions, and the _Say My Name _fired both of it's MAC cannons one after the other. The first MAC round, aimed at the middle of the ship, ricocheted off the quickly failing particle shield into space. The second round, however, aimed at the bridge, completely overwhelmed the protective energy field, causing the two spherical generators to explode under the strain, and severing the bridge from the rest of the superstructure. The _Say My Name _then presented its starboard side to the decapitated Star Destroyer, and began firing broadsides of Archer missiles, 150mm Helilical Rail-gun slugs, and 50mm Point-defense guns, dented and rented the Star Destroyer with huge amounts of craters. In a number of cases breaching the hull and exposing multiple decks to the hard vacuum of space, the _Say My Name _then turned back around to face the listing, grievously damaged Star Destroyer, and with a final MAC round, gutted the warship bow to stern, causing the vessel to explode in a shower of secondary explosions.

One _Paris_-class Frigate took the full brunt of turbolaser salvos fired from two _Victory_ Star Destroyers. The frigates shields flashed a brilliant silver, just barely absorbing the first volley. The second one, however, had worse effects. The green energy lances blasted right through the shields and impacted against the Titanuim-A armor plating, melting it like lava through paper, turning the front half of the frigate into molten slag. In a final act of defiance, the frigate activated its slipspace drives and jumped right between the two _Victory_ Star Destroyers before detonating its reactor, consuming all three ships in a mini-sun of violent energy. Amazingly, when the blast wave cleared, the two _Victory_ class Star Destroyers survived, but their hulls were charred and breached and their shields were down from the detonating frigate. Follow up plasma torpedoe strikes from the _Shadow of Intent _finished them off.

Lasky frowned at the loss of the Frigate and its crew, but was jolted out of his thoughts by a bridge officer's shouting.

"Sir! We're being targeted, enemy ships firing!"

The Admiral glanced towards the main holotank, which now showed volleys of turbolaser fire closing with the center UNSC ships, represented by green lines.

"Divert power to forward shields! Helm, new heading at 306 mark 70! Weapons, get me a targeting solution on one of those _Victor's_, primary MAC cannon!"ordered Lasky.

"Target acquired!"

"Fire!"

There was a loud thud, and the _Infinity's_ Number 1 MAC, which in reality was a scaled down version of the weapon found on Orbital Defense Platforms, sent a 1200 ton depleted uranium slug barreling towards the Imperial ship at nearly 80,000 kilometers.

The MAC round crossed the distance in a matter of seconds and impacted the enemy ship, forcing it backwards and shattering it into thousands of pieces as the ridiculous amounts of kinetic energy almost vaporized the Star Destroyer.

The volley of turbolasers that had been fired at _Infinity_ from the remaining ships in the Imperial fleet impacted the bow shields, and the ship shook as it absorbed the power of the blast.

"Shield strength?" Lasky asked.

"Ninety-three percent sir."

The Admiral nodded, pleased that the protective barrier had done so well from a full barrage of firepower from an Imperial Fleet.

"Admiral! The Imperial fighters are almost within range!"

Almost instantly, Lasky ordered, "Send the engagement order to our Interceptor Squadrons! Priority on those bombers!"

Engine nacelles glowed from sudden power inputs, and hundreds of Broadswords, Sabres, Seraphs, and Rogue Squadron accelerated towards the wave of TIE's. Missiles and torpedoes were launched at long range, destroying a few ships on each side, before the two waves crashed together in a giant ball of choas.

"Sir! Enemy forces have been reduced enough to where we can commence our other operations." said the sensor operator.

Lasky looked towards the tactical display, and sure enough, most of the Imperial ships lay in tatters, with the exception of one of their smaller cruisers, which has disengaged itself from the conflict, then suddenly disappeared.

"Did we get an exit vector on that ship?" asked Lasky.

"Aye sir, storing the coordinates now."

"Good," said the Admiral, "Launch our boarding parties towards the Imperial Space Station, get a few flights of Sabres to divert and cover them."

Scores of Pelicans and Phantoms were launched from hangar bays, and they began making their way towards the Space Station just outside the engagement zone. A couple squadrons of Sabres disengaged from the massive dogfight they had been participating in, and formed up above the landing craft in a top cover position.

A few _Marathon_-class Cruisers and _CSS_-Battlecruisers jumped towards the Station, surrounding it, and began trading blows. Well places Archer missiles, Plasma torpedoes, and Helilical Rail-gun rounds disabled or destroyed major weapons emplacements and forcibly opened hangar doors, which would give the boarding parties landing zones. The Pelicans and_ Phantoms_ reached the Station soon after, and began disgorging large amounts of Marines, ODST's, Sangheili, and Blue Team, to secure the large construct.

"Give the order to deploy the ground forces." commanded Lasky, and several ships jumped into the atmosphere of Kashyyyk and began deploying firebases, heavy guns, and battalions of vehicles and infantry to the surface.

"Helm, put us on a new heading towards the Skyhook, tell Tarkov and his ODST's to be ready to drop." Lasky ordered, as the Infinity started moving towards the Orbital Tether.

"Admiral, what exactly are ODST's?" asked Cracken, slight confusion showing on his face.

"Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, some of the best soldiers we have in the fleet." replied Lasky.

"Orbital Drop..." Cracken muttered mulling over the words. A look of horror crossed over the Alliance officer's face as the meaning of the words dawned on him. He looked at Lasky, mouth slightly agape, "You can't possible mean... that would be tantamount to suicide!"

Lasky just turned to him and grinned, "Feet first into Hell Commander."

* * *

**Orbit of Kashyyyk...**

"All fighters, Engage! Engage! TIE bombers are priority targets!"

That was all Luke Skywalker, the Commander of the elite X-wing group known as Rogue Squadron, needed before speaking into his comlink, "Alright Rogues, lock x-foils into attack position and split off into your wing-pairs. See what you can do about helping out our new allies out there, they're new to the ropes around here. Happy hunting."

There was a mechanical whir, and the wing of the starfighter locked into their characteristic X-shape, which would give the craft increased maneuverability in the coming battle. Luke pushed the throttle forward, and his X-wing shot towards the TIE wave, flanked on all sides by the fighters of the UNSC and Separatists, and his fellow Rogue squadron members.

"Wedge, what's your status?" Luke asked.

"I've got your back Commander." came the reply.

"Good. Artoo? Divert shields to full front, and get me a solution for Proton Torpedoes once we're in range."

"Commander, looks like the TIE's are in a standard double sphere formation, fighters on the outside, bombers on the inside." said Rogue 5, Tycho Celchu.

A chorus of beeps and whistles came from the little droid, and on his diagnostic readout Luke saw that the shields had indeed been shifted to full front. There were also two yellow boxes around two of the TIE Bombers, which would turn red once Luke entered firing range.

"Commander look! Our allies are launching missiles!" exclaimed Wedge

Luke looked up through his cockpit, and sure enough, scores of missiles detached themselves from weapons bays and hard points under wings, then activated their thrusters, barreling towards the Imperial fighters.

The commander of Rogue Squadron was impressed, the Alliance X-wings were still had yet to cross half the distance that would be needed to acquire a proton torpedo lock.

Strangely enough, the Imperial TIE's stayed mostly on course, with only a few fighters trying to dodge out of the way of their impending doom.

The UNSC missiles impacted against the enemy formation in a series of blossoming explosions, destroying about a fourth of the fighters.

It was at this point when a warbling tone in Luke's headset signified that he had a proton torpedo lock, and he, and the rest of Rogue Squadron each fired two torpedoes apiece.

The bad news is that now the TIE bombers also had achieved lock, and they as well launched a significant number of torpedoes towards the Alliance, USNC, and Sangheili fighters.

Many of the UNSC fighters deployed chaff, and the Sangheili Sepaph's deployed some sort of flare that shot out ahead of the formation. Despite these countermeasures, some torpedoes still found their mark, borrowing through shields and destroying the ships inside them in red and orange fireballs.

Luke noted with some satisfaction that both of his torpedoes had found their mark, and two TIE bombers were now nothing but space junk.

"Listen up Rogues, no head-on passes. I want six going under, and six going over." ordered Luke.

The two sides grew closer to main weapons distance, and in a few seconds, everything erupted into complete chaos.

Flashes of red and green laser cannon bolts, the superheated blue of plasma, and the bright yellow of 30 and 35mm tracer rounds littered the engagement zone, shearing off wings, burning through shields and hulls, and shattering cockpits.

Luke linked his laser cannons to quad-burst, and fired a salvo head-on at a TIE, the ruby red beams impacting dead center on the spherical cockpit, causing the fighter to violently explode.

Skywalker, along with the five other Rogues, pulled up, and inverted his X-wing, passing over the top of the TIE formation. With a small amount of awe, through his cockpit Luke saw the two sides of hundred of fighters crash together like waves in a violent storm. Other than the battle to destroy the Death Star, this was hands down the largest engagement he had ever been a part of.

Skywalker listened to his squad-mates over the comm as he dove in a C-shape to get behind the Imperial fighters, and sorted through the reports with the practiced ease of a veteran.

"Watch it seven, you've got an eyeball on your back."

"I see em', one sec... eyeball souffle tonight!"

"Wow, that was one crafty TIE, that is until he turned left when he should have gone right."

"Fierfek, maybe the middle of a battle's not the best time to fly in a straight line my Imperial friend."

"That was too close! That sithspit TIE just shot off the head of my astromech!"

"Calm down eight, I probably just shot off the pilots head, are you happy?"

"I've got to say, but those projectile rounds are vicous..."

"You're telling me, I had the unfortunate luck to get in the way of a stray burst, did a number on my shields."

"I've got locks on two dupes, torpedoes away... krif, I've seen banthas that were more maneuverable."

"I agree, it's like shooting fish in a barrel down here."

"Don't let the Admiral catch you saying that, he'll bust your ass down to a cargo pilot."

"He'd never waste such talent... hold on, those UNSC jockeys look like they're having some trouble. Come on five, let's go show 'em why Rogue Squadron never has to pay for their drinks."

Luke saw Rogues four and five, Klivian and Celchu, race towards an outnumbered flight of UNSC Sabres, and decided to join them in trying to even the odds.

He sighted a TIE that was spitting bursts of emerald lasers at a Sabre, and maneuvered in behind it. Luke switched his cannons to link-fire, and once he was in optimal weapons range, depressed the trigger, sending several bursts downrange towards his opponent.

The red streaks connected on the right solar panel, the intense energy of the laser burning a hole through it right into the cockpit, which then summarily exploded.

Over the general comm frequency, Luke heard a smooth female voice thankfully say, "Bravo-3 to the X-man who bailed me out back there, I appreciate it."

"It's what we do Bravo-3, try to stay out of trouble next time." Luke responded.

Skywalker banked away, looking for another target. He found one in the form of a TIE that had just destroyed one of the strange teardrop-shaped fighters that their allies used, and accelerated, hoping to get the jump on him.

It looked like he had caught the TIE pilot unawares, and Luke fired a volley of lasers at his target. Just as it looked like they were about to impact however, the TIE jinked to the left and dove downwards, causing the bolts to miss by inches. Nice move, thought Luke, as he also dove in pursuit of the TIE.

He reacquired his target, but every time it seemed Luke would be in position to take a shot, the TIE would expertly juke out of the way.

Despite himslef, Luke found that he was growing increasingly frustrated, and was determined to finish off this stubborn TIE.

Luke was so determined in fact, that he almost didn't register the tingling feeling on the back of his neck before it was too late.

"Rogue Lead! Watch your six!"

Without even thinking, Luke snap-rolled to the left and up, seeing out of the corner of his eye a flurry of green laser bolts rush inches past his right wingtips. His right shields failed from repelling the heat of the near-miss, and Artoo squealed a shrill alarm.

Luke took a deep breath to try to calm himself from further frustration. He had unknowingly broken the Cardinal rule of dogfighting; don't get so target-fixated that you lose track of what's going on around you.

Now not only had he lost his target, but now was being pursued himself by a pair of TIE's at his five and seven o'clock.

Luke put his X-wing into a series of rolls and dives to try to shake the fighters, but to no avail. "Wedge? I could use... a little.. help here." he said in between grunts caused by high-G turns.

"I'm in a little bit of a tight spot myself Commander." was Wedge's response.

Luke looked around for Wedge's fighter, and spotted him being followed by two TIE's of his own as well.

_Stang_, looks like I'm on my own here, thought Luke.

Just then he spotted a glint of light at his eleven o'clock high, and saw a brief flash. _Missile_, he thought, accelerating and diving at an angle to try and foil the weapons tracking systems.

However, Luke soon found out that the missile wasn't meant for him, as the first TIE following him exploded into a ball of metal and photoreacitve panels. There was a short burst of cannon fire, and the second TIE was destroyed as well, freeing Luke from his pursuers.

Luke saw a UNSC Sabre flash past his fighter, before turning and coming alongside him. Over the comm heard the voice of the same pilot he had rescued earlier, detecting only the slightest hint of smugness. "I guess what goes around comes around eh X-man? Try to stay out of trouble next time."

The Sabre pilot wagged her wings at Luke, then banked back into the fight.

A small smile crossed Luke's face, as he too turned back towards the action, and began scanning for another target.

* * *

**ODST Drop Bay, UNSC _Infinity_**

The light turned green, and with dull thud of explosive bolts being detonated, Colonel Tarkov's Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle disengaged from the _Infinity's _drop bays.

On his tactical display to the right of the bullet-proof window, Tarkov saw his, then 400 other pods start their free fall through space from the Infinity and other ships positioned near the Skyhook.

His objective: Secure the immediate vicinity of land around the Skyhook's base so that ground and air forces could reinforce them and push outwards.

Intelligence had said that the Skyhook was protected by a battalion of mechanized infantry, about 500 men with light vehicle support. _Outnumbered and outgunned, but not outmatched,_ thought Tarkov.

In a few seconds Tarkov's pod hit the upper atmosphere of Kashyyyk, and began to shake. Inertia dampers had been forsaken to make room for more weapons storage, and while it gave the occupants increased firepower, it made for an uncomfortably bumpy ride. Tarkov wasn't one to complain though, his pods had always seen him safely to the ground, or at least as safe as dropping into the middle of enemy forces in a glorified metal coffin could get.

As the friction from the atmospheric reentry burned away the ceramic skin that coated the outside of the SOEIV, the inside of Tarkov's pod started to heat up. Despite the cooling unit in the Colonel's armor kicked in, he still found himself starting to sweat.

Over the battalion comm, someone started playing the heavy old-age rock and metal of the ODST Anthem, and Tarkov couldn't help but smile. It was a tradition that had been observed when Tarkov was just still just a Private, and when he had ascended to command rank he had made sure to keep it.

Tarkov's pod shook from the near impact of anti-aircraft fire, and he gritted his teeth as he saw several indicators on his tactical display wink out of existence. Most of the AA guns in the area had been taken out with precision orbital bombardments, but there were a few batteries that had to be left due to their proximity to the Skyhook. _They'll be the first to go_, he thought.

The Colonel checked to make sure his pod was still on target with the designated landing zone, a medium-sized field 600 yards outside of the Skyhook's main entrance. He activated his homing beacon, and saw the rest of Alpha company angle their pods approach to match his

At three thousand feet, the upper exterior panels of the SOEIV separated into a sort of drag-chute, and Tarkov was jolted in his harness. He watched the altitude scroll down on his pods instruments, and took a deep breath as it neared fifty feet. Despite the deceleration provided by the drag-chute, the SOEIV's were still going to fast to make a survivable landing. That's why when the pod reached fifty feet, computer-controlled braking rockets activated to further slow the vehicle to make a safe, although sometimes abrupt, landing. However, these rockets had been known to fail on rare occasions, leaving the pods occupant to die upon impact. It was the death that every ODST feared, and was referred to throughout the corp as digging your own grave.

To Tarkov's relief, the braking rockets engaged, and his pod impacted the ground with a resounding jolt.

The Colonel grabbed his Battle Rifle from its secured rack to his left, his visor polarized to its characteristic reflective silver, and the front hatch of his pod exploded open.

Rifle leveled, Tarkov burst out of the opening onto the ground, scanning for threats. He found some in the form of a bewildered looking squad of Stormtroopers fifty meters to his North, and snapped his BR to his shoulder, firing a burst at the closest ones chest. The three hypersonic rounds were true to thie mark, and the soldiers sprouted blood form his now fatal wounds. Tarkov fired another burst, catching another bucket-head in the groin, before the Stormtroopers came to their senses and started firing back. The ODST dived to his left into a shallow ditch, a near miss from a laser bolt scorching his right shoulder plate. A series of ground-shaking thuds signaled the arrival of the rest of the company, and Tarkov poked his head out just in time to see a pod land right in the middle of the Imperial squad, crushing a few troopers into bloody smears. With a few more bursts from his rifle, the rest of the squad was soon eliminated.

As the other 100 pods of Alpha Company made their landings, Tarkov activated his visors 10x zoom and looked for the rest of the enemy forces. He found them relatively easily, thanks in no small part to the Imperials bleach-white armor. _There must be no common sense in this new galaxy,_ thought Tarkov.

From what he could see, there were two groups of hostiles approaching from both the East and the West. The two groups were fairly even in numbers, each consisting of around three platoons of Stormtroopers with five of their light bipedal walkers, AT-ST's Tarkov recalled, for support.

The Colonel realized that his troops, who were now hastily gathering weapons and supplies from their pods, would be quickly surrounded and pinned down if they stayed with the SOEIV's. Thier objective, the Skyhooks main control bunker, was to the North, and to the South was a large lake.

_Looks like the only way is forward, _Tarkov deduced, his rationalizing soon being realized when the light walkers began firing their main cannons at the mass of ODST's.

There was a complex of what looked to be industrial buildings 200 meters ahead of them, and Tarkov immediately ordered, "Alpha company! Advance into those buildings and take up defensive positions! Heavy weapons, see what you can do about those walkers!"

The ODST's of Alpha Company sprinted across the field out of the cover of their pods and towards the buildings ahead of them. A couple of unfortunate troopers were picked off by lucky blasts from the walkers, the heavy laser cannons burning right through their armor like nothing.

Halfway to the buildings, Tarkov, along with several other Helljumpers, reached for the Rocket Launcher on his back and slid to a knee. They quickly took aim, waited for a target lock, then fired both of their 102mm High Explosive charges at the heads of the walkers. With less than three seconds having passed, Tarkov and the other rocket jockeys got off their knees and continued sprinting.

Turning his head as he ran, Tarkov saw the rockets quickly cross the distance to the Imperial walkers, and impact right on target. The resulting twin explosions puched a whole clean through the head of the AT-ST's in a cloud of fire and smoke; shredding the two man crew inside. The AT-ST wobbled, stumbled and the spindly legs gave out and the walker fell to the ground with a thud. The other rockets that were fired had much the same effect, and within a few seconds six of the ten walkers had been destroyed, lessening the amount of incoming fire considerably.

The ODST's made it to the buildings, and immediately started sweep and clear operations. Tarkov had his practiced eye on one building in particular, a large four-story type deal that had outward facing windows on every side, and had several small structures on the roof. It was located roughly in the center of the complex, and Tarkov could tell that it would have a commanding view of the entire area.

"First Platoon, with me! We're taking that building!" the Colonel yelled, and upon reaching a door stacked up with his men. One soldier withdrew a high-powered pneumatic battering ram from his back, and with a mighty thrust, banged it against the door. The metal doors crumpled inward, and the battering ram ODST got out of the way for the rest of the line to file into the doorway.

The room immediately inside was devoid of enemies, and upon further examination, so was the rest of the building. Tarkov was a little disappointed in his Imperial counterpart, surely he would have realized the tactical importance of this structure. _All the better for us though, at least it meant we had no causalities clearing it._

Tarkov ascended to the third floor, and located a central room with what looked to be a large conference table. He decided that he would make this his temporary command post, and reached into a pouch on his belt, withdrawing two small rectangular prisms. He placed one at each end of the table, and tapped the left one three times to activate it. Using the table as a surface, the two devices built a 3D holographic representation of the battlefield around him. Sensor data from several CLARION spy drones launched from _Infinity_ revealed the position of the enemy forces. They had just reached the drop pods, and were in the process of destroying them with explosives. Tarkov snorted, _not like the things had any resale value ayway._

Tarkov deduced that the Imperial forces would pursue the ODST's through the same route that they had taken to reach the buildings. Knowing they wouldn't ave much time to prepare, Tarkov quickly started issuing orders.

"Listen up Alpha, we've got to lay out the welcome mat for the Imperials. Get sniper teams on the roofs of these structures ASAP. Set up the HMG's on the third and fourth floors of these buildings, I want overlapping fields of fire. Get some mines along the main avenue of approach here, and set up the mortar in that walled courtyard here. Hold your fire until my order, we'll catch these bastards in the worst ambush they've ever encountered."

Tarkov looked at the holographic display, and found the location of the anti-air guns in his area. There were four of them about 500 meters to the East, right between the ODST's and the _Infinity_. They were currently inactive, scanning for targets.

Third Platoon, take two squads and send them to disable the anti-air guns at this location ASAP. ordered Tarkov. While the men in the squads would be missed, it was imperative that those guns be destroyed so they could get some air support and reinforcements.

With practiced haste the Helljumpers set up their defenses, and from his vantage point on the third floor Tarkov observed the Imperials through his binoculars. The main body of about a hundred white-washed Stormtroopers advanced up the middle of the large street that ran though the middle of the complex, with a few columns clearing buildings on either side of the street. In the front and in the rear were the remaining four AT-STs walkers, split up into two pairs. The loud hydraulic sound of the walkers legs echoed off the buildings, and broke up the eerie silence that had settled over the battlefield.

Blue circles on Tarkov's HUD showed the position of the anti-personnel mines that had been buried on either side of the road, and he waited patiently for the main body of the Imperial troops to enter the kill-zone.

After the lead pair of AT-ST's crossed the threshold, Tarkov shouted over the comm, "Engage!"

The mines exploded in a flash of fire, smoke, and shrapnel, maiming or killing the majority of the Stormtrooper on the columns flanks. The .50 caliber HMG two windows to Tarkov's left, and the one on the floor above him opened up, the deep bass of the guns recoil shaking the floor around him. The heavy rounds tore into the Imperials, shearing off arms, legs, heads, or entire halves of stormtrooper bodies in fountains of blood and gore. From other windows and vantage points, the other ODST's began to fire their small arms as well, creating a deadly crossfire. Tarkov heard the low whumps of the Company's mortar, and a couple of seconds later the 81mm round impacted in the middle of the Imperial formation, turning eight troopers into a fountains of plastic and flesh. What stormtroopers weren't already dead took what cover they could behind walls, makeshift barriers, the legs of their walkers, and in some cases, the dead bodies of their comrades, and started to return fire. Soon the battlefield was being criss-crossed by ruby red laser bolts and yellow tracer rounds. The rooftop snipers picked off stormtrooper's who exposed themselves for a second too long, the loud cracks being easily heard above the chaos of the firefight.

Tarkov saw that the HMG bullets were having trouble piercing the armor of the AT-ST's, with most of the rounds just creating small dents in the metal. Tarkov saw that the walkers were beginning to turn their dual laser cannons towards the location of the HMGs, and he shouted into the comm, "HMG's! Relocate now!"

The heavy fire from the machine guns abruptly halted, and their crews scrambled to break down their weapons. One AT-ST loosed a burst of laser energy at the window where the third floor HMG was firing from, one room over from Tarkov's observation window. He dove for the deck, and the building shook violently, clouds of dust rushing through the open door leading into the room. Tarkov got up to a crouch, and shimmied over to the door, taking a look inside. _Goddammit the bastards to hell! _The three ODST's that were manning the weapon were lying on the floor, dead, armor bubbling and smoking. The gun was obviously inoperable, the barrel was actually dripping molten metal onto the floor in steaming puddles, and the trigger mechanisms was completely missing.

Deciding to take matters into his own hands, Tarkov shouldered his Rocket Launcher and ran to the window. As quickly as he could, he sighted up the first AT-AT, fired a rocket, and shortly fired the second one at the other walker. His first rocket flew straight and true, blowing a hole through the head of the first walker, killing the pilot and wounding the Co-pilot. The second walker, witnessing the destruction of its partner, started to back up in an attempt to escape its high explosive fate. Tarkov's second rocket, while missing the large head, still hit the left leg of the AT-ST at the backwards knee joint. Missing a significant portion of the support needed to stand upright, the walker ungracefully toppled over onto the ground as a Mission Kill. One OSDT on the ground level rushed forwards under a hail of covering fire, primed a fragmentation grenade, and shoved it inside the walkers open window. He then raced back to cover, there was some shouting from inside the AT-ST, then the grenade detonated in a blast of concussive force. The shouting had stopped, and a pool of blood started to form outside the viewport onto the ground. One story above, Tarkov heard the other HMG start firing again. _At least they managed to survive_, he thought.

There was a large explosion to the East, and Tarkov saw a small mushroom cloud of smoke start to rise into the atmosphere. _Those must have been the anti-aircraft guns,_ he thought, and sure enough, the Lieutenant who was in charge of the raid radioed in, "Colonel, the AA guns have been eliminated, we're making our way back now."

"Excellent job ODST!" Tarkov responded. Dialing _Infinity, _he said, "_Infinity_, this is Alpha, AA guns neutralized, requesting additional air support and reinforcements for our push on the bunker, over."

Lasky's voice came back over the comm, "Request granted, Pelican gunships and transports are on approach. I hope you don't mind, but I'm routing a couple of Spartan teams to help take the bunker."

While many ODST's still possessed a large amount of anti-Spartan sentiment, Tarkov wasn't one of them. After what the Master Chief had done to almost single handedly save the human race, he found it hard to have any sort of harsh feelings towards the supersoldiers. "Roger that Admiral, I'll appreciate the help. How goes the rest of the battle?"

"Well enough, Blue team reports that we've gained full control of the Space Station, and the 233rd Marines have already taken over the Central Command post. The 3rd amour regiment is pushing back the Imperial front near the main barracks, and we've located our missing VIPs, and are currently evacuating them to _Infinity_. All we need is control of the Skyhook, and we'll have the planet."

Tarkov nodded his head, pleased with the UNSC's progress. "We'll get it done sir, Tarkov out."

A high pitched whine signaled the arrival of the Pelicans, and in a storm of missiles and heavy cannon rounds, the remainder of the Imperial forces in his area were eliminated. Tarkov gathered the rest of his men and supplies, boarded a hovering Pelican, and they set off to the command bunker.

* * *

**UNSC Infinity Medical Bay**

**Location: Kashyyyk Space**

**Time: 29 Standard Hours After Initial Invasion**

Starkiller awoke with a start, bolting upright in the bed he was in. He almost instantly calmed down, remembering where he was, a medical bay aboard a UNSC ship.

After his escape from prison and the engagement with the Dark Troopers, Starkiller, Juno, and Kota had been loaded aboard a bird-shaped dropship, a Pelican he had heard it called, and taken to the UNSC flagship. Once they had arrived, the trio had been swarmed with medical personnel, and upon seeing his condition, they had basically forced Starkiller into bedrest and stuck him full of IV lines. He wasn't one to complain though, he had used so much energy during the fight that he could barely stand, and once he was lain into the soft cushions of the bed had instantly fallen into a deep regenerative sleep as he slipped into a Force healing trance that Kota had taught him.

The three VIP's had gotten their own small room in the Medbay to themselves, and in the bed to his left he heard Kota snoring loudly. Starkiller smirked, the old barve could sleep through a crash-landing. He turned to the right towards Juno's bed, but found it bare, sheets crisp and clean. Starkiller opened himself up to the Force, and almost instantly felt the warm, calm, and confident presence that she radiated two decks up, in the location where he was told the mess hall was. He smiled at the thought of being able to talk with her, kriff, just see her again in a normal setting. It had been so long since they had a chance to just sit down and talk. The needs of the Alliance had always taken precedence to their own personal feelings but now they would have a chance. Starkiller opened himself up to the Force and centered his focus towards Kashyyyk. He could and feel the intense struggle for the planet below with the Force. The Battle was in the mopping up phase now. What little Imperial resistance that remained had attempted to withdraw to the forests of Kashyyyk, where they would mount a guerilla campaign until reinforcements arrived, but UNSC forces had cut them off and were even now surrounding them...and_ drowning _them in firepower!

Starkiller smiled. _Anything_ that caused the Empire the maximum amount of grief possible always brought a smile to his face. Starkiller breathed in a deep relaxing breath and pulled his focus back from the planet and to the here and now. With a sense of feeling rejuvinated and refreshed from his healing trance he got out of bed and disconnected the various IV lines that were attached to him.

He was about to head out the door, when suddenly he sensed something. The Force seemed to scream at him, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. _No... that can't be right..._ he thought, and with some concentration, pinpointed the location of the alarm. Hurrying out the door, he followed his senses through a multitude of corridors, bulkheads, lifts, and stairwells. Some of the UNSC personnel he came across gave him some strange looks, but Starkiller just ignored them. As he got closer to his location, the sense that he was feeling intensified. It was if the Force itself was telling him that there was something he needed to know right this second.

After a couple of minutes of half-walking, half-jogging, Starkiller found himself outside a door that would lead in to a cargo bay. He activated the mechanism, and the door hissed open. Inside was a man practicing blocking laser bolts from a hovering drone with a sapphire blue lightsaber, blast shield covering his eyes. Recognizing that he was no longer alone, the man deactivated the lightsaber and took of his helmet, revealing ear-length blonde hair and striking blue eyes.

Starkiller just stared at the man, brows narrowed, eyes unblinking. He knew that feeling, that aura, that presence; it haunted his thoughts and dreams for years. And though there were distict differences there was no mistaking what the Force was telling him. Starkiller felt the feeling of refreshness quickly leave him as a sense of coldness started to well up inside of him. He clamped down on his emotions, _hard_. He refused to go down that path. Not again. Not after everything he had done to free himself from the grip of the Dark side and the one who had nearly destroyed his life . There was no heavy body suit, no mechanical breathing or black skull mask to fool the more mundane senses. But with the Force there was no doubt this young man was the embodiment of everything he despised. Not because of the actions of the man in front of him, but because of what he represented, the evil that he was associated with.

_Son of Vader._

* * *

**Internet cookies for whoever figures out where I got the name Tarkov from. **

**Stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	9. Chapter 9: Revelations

**A/N: Alright, here's the next installment of New Horizons, hope you like it.**

**I want to wish everybody a safe, happy, and successful 2013, here's my gift to you all on this New Years Day.**

**Special shoutouts to my betas Jon Harper and Sharnorasian Empire.**

**Internet cookies go to J.E.P. 1996, the name Tarkov did indeed come from the Halo 3 ODST live-action trailer, which by the way, was totally awesome.**

**As always, I would really appreciate those who take time to review, it just helps the story get better and better.**

**Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but all original content is mine.**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Revelations**

**UNSC Infinity Conference Room A-23, Kashyyyk Space, 29 Standard Hours After Kashyyyk Invasion**

"Would you like me to play it again Admiral?"

With a heavy sigh, Thomas Lasky leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. "And you're positive that this video has been in no way tampered or altered?" he asked, looking at Black Box, floating a few inches off the table-top.

"That is correct sir, I've checked and re-checked the footage a thousand times, it's authentic." replied the A.I.

With a motion of his hand, Lasky signaled BB to replay the video, and for the third time in the past ten minutes, watched the data gathered by Fireteam Majestic during the prison break operation.

Lasky observed the whole operation on the holoscreen in front of him, which showed the events from the perspective of all five members of Majestic.

The Admiral signaled to end the recording at the conclusion of the battle with the Dark Troopers, and leaned forward on the table, arms crossed. Lasky was flabbergasted. A man who had been subjugated to months of imprisonment and torture not only had the strength to dismantle a heavily armed enemy force, but made it look like childs play! And he did it with what Lasky could only describe as magic!

There was silence for a moment, then Lasky looked at Captain Serin Osman, the only other person present in the room with the Admiral and BB. . Lasky could easily understand Osman's sudden interest in this man. He could understand it completely. This power, and anyone who weilded it, was serious game changer the likes of which even a Spartan would not likely be able to match. And that spoke volumes in and of itself.

Thomas Lasky was a man who respected and loved Spartans. He had grown fond of the giant armored warriors on that day when the best of that amazing group had saved his life and the surviving members of Corbulo Military Academy. Even the newest generation of that amazing group was poised to prove they were every bit as capable as those who came before them.

But this...this was on a whole new level. Lasky had to force himself to get back on track or he'd become too distracted.

"So what you're saying Captain, is that Spartan Thorne happens to posses the power needed to perform such... abilities?" Lasky asked.

"Starkiller, the prisoner shown in the video, seems to think so, but I believe that Thorne does not know how to properly utilize it." replied the soon-to-be head of ONI.

"Roland? I presume you've been listening in on this?" Lasky asked aloud.

The Infinity AI materialized on the holotable next to BB, saying, "Yes Admiral, I've gone over it innumerable times as well, and even then I can hardly believe it."

"Have you finished putting together the report I asked?" said Lasky towards Roland.

The AI nodded his head saying, "Yes I have Admiral, and I figure that now would be the best time to give it."

Lasky gestured for Roland to continue, which he did. "The feats and abilities that Starkiller was able to accomplish were due to something called the Force. From what I've been able to discern, the Force is basically an all-encompassing web of energy that can be tapped by those who are called "Force-sensitives". Now while there are many different groups that use this 'Force', the one group that seems to be the most prominant of them all are the Jedi. From my research I've gathered that the Jedi are a cloistered order of what essentially amounts to monks. They fullfulled a wide variety roles within the former Republic; everything from diplomacy, to medicine, research and development and law enforcement. They were always small in numbers but at their height they numbered ten thousand strong. In that time the Jedi were the only federal level combat capable force that kept the Republic together, and they did it for over a thousand years. Though they drew from all member species of aliens within the Republic, the vast majority of Jedi were human"

Lasky blinked and looked from Roland to Osman in time to see the ONI captains look of bewildered surprise for a moment before she schooled her features into something more neutral. Clearly Roland had caught her off guard with that bit. But then just as suddenly she scowled.

"Wait...how is that even possible?" Osman asked. "How did these Jedi deal with rebellions? How did they defend their borders? Ten thousand isn't even enough to properly garrison a planet, yet 'at their height' they were enough for an entire Galaxy spanning civilization?" Osman scoffed. "Its just not possible."

Roland interjected, "Most of the nations within the Republic kept their own standing militaries. When dealing with a potential crisis between two member worlds, or between a Republic held world and one that was not, the Jedi were often called in to mediate disputes. And they often did so sucessfully. But on those rare occasions they did not they would align with one side or another and assume command of local forces. They would then quickly contain and resolve the situation before it spiraled into galaxy wide war."

Lasky was speachless. He had expected to hear about an order of Knight warriors and soldiers after having witnessed Starkiller's exceptional power and skill in battle. He had not been expecting this.

Osman voiced her own thoughts, blunt and to the point as always "Im highly dubious as to the content of the report." Osman held up a hand to forestall Roland from protesting. "Im not saying your lying, Roland. But this cant be accurate."

"Why is that Ma'am?' BB asked.

"Human nature. If most of these Jedi were human what was to stop one of them from taking power for him or herself?"

Roland apparently had an aswer for that. "Throughout the history of the Republic, and the Old Republic before it, a number of Jedi held political office, to include the position of Chancellor. But over the past thousand years the Jedi had slowly withdrew from poltics until they virtualy exluded themselves alltogether nearly a hundred years ago. All records seem to point to a lack of interest in politics rather than political oponents shutting them out."

Osman couldn't believe it. This went contrary to everything she had ever seen of powerful organizations constantly grasping for more politcal power or just trying to hold onto what they had. As much as she hated to admit it, ONI definetly fell into this catagory. She didn't know what to make of these Jedi who had apparently rejected politics. Looking to Lasky, Osman could also see he was somewhat sceptical of what he had just heard.

The room was quiet for a long moment before Lasky asked a very pointed question "The Galaxy couldn't have always been a peaceful place. How did the Jedi deal with war?"

Roland nodded "You are corrrect, Admiral Lasky. The last war saw the Jedi rise to promince virtually overnight. They assumed command of the Republic military forces and over the next three years lead them to victory over the army of the Seperatists. Interestingly enough one of the Generals of that conflict was a 'Rahm Kota'."

"The very one we have in our Med Bay?" Lasky asked.

Roland nodded, "The very one. Another prominent name was an Anakin Skywalker"

Osman raised an eyebrow "Any relation to the Commander of Rouge Squadron?"

Roland pulled a side by side image of the two men and both Lasky and Osman could easily see the resemblance. "Nothing is stated one way or another as such but I'd bet my position as Infinity's A.I that they are."

BB snorted "A fools bet. No takers here."

"What happend to this Anakin Skywalker?" Osman asked.

"At the end of the War the Chancellor proclaimed that the Jedi were plotting to take over the Republic. The Chancellor even survived an apparent coupe attempt when the Jedi attempted to arest him in his ofice, claiming him to be a 'Sith Lord'. The Chancellor responded by ordering the Jedi to be purged and launched an assault on the Jedi Temple. Records states Anakin Skywalker was killed during the battle, though his body was never recovered.

Osman raised an eyebrow "A Purge?"

"Correct Captain Osman. And records show this isn't the first time this has happened either."

Lasky asked the obvious question "Whats a Sith Lord?"

"They appear to be some sort of dark counterpart to the Jedi, but there isn't anything concrete I could find on them. When I accessed the 'HoloNet', basically a galaxy-wide version of our Internet, I was hard pressed to find much information about the Force, Jedi, Sith, or other subjects that wasn't conjectural or rumors. You'd think that a subject this important would have more knowledge available, but who knows."

"So my question is, if Starkiller detected the Force inside of Spartan Thorne, is it possible that there are others in our population that could possess it as well? And if so, how could we detect them?" asked Osman.

"Honestly Captain, I wouldn't know if there were any other Force-sensitives in our galaxy, but I did find a couple of ways we could identify them if there were. First off, like Starkiller did to Thorne, we could have established Force users detect potential candidates, but I think there is a better way. From the information I've gleamed, what actually sets Force users apart from others on a genetic scale are cells called 'midichlorians'. The higher the midichlorian count in an individual, the greater access they have to the Force. What I suggest is fleet-wide genetic testing to single-out those that have these special cells in the short term, something that can easily be done." said Roland.

"Hold on Roland, there's something I don't understand." said Lasky, and Roland stopped his report. "If the Force is present in our galaxy's population, how come we haven't heard anything about it? Especially concerning these midichlorians, why weren't they detected in any of our genetic screenings?"

Roland shrugged his shoulders. I'm not sure Admiral. Maybe it's because we've invested most of our research into neuroscience and disease cures instead of invisible energy fields, or maybe we just didn't know what to look for. Or its possible we have seen these 'Midichlorians' but just didn't understand what their connection was. Jedi and Midichlorians are something we just dont have any context for in our society."

That opened up a whole new direction this conversation had just taken.

Lasky turned to Osman, who seemed perfectly calm and composed.

"Captain Osman, is there anything you would like to add?"

Osman stayed silent for a moment, looking at the wall, then blurted out, "Admiral, as per ONI Code-9027 outlined by Section three, I am unauthorized to give-"

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Lasky slammed his fist on the table in a rare show of anger, cutting off the Captain mid-sentence. "Dammit Serin! Don't give me that classified bullshit! If this is something that could potentially harm the men and women under my command, then I need to know about it!"

Osman flinched slightly, and even BB's holographic avatar seemed to dim. Lasky took a moment to compose himself, then continued in a slightly calmer voice.

"Now I'm not a big fan of ONI, and I know as well as you that they have used some 'less than reputable' methods to accomplish their goals. Nonetheless, were it not for ONI humanity in all likelihood would have lost the Great War. Normally I would respect, yet still be slightly annoyed, by all of your codes and regulations, but this is an entirely new situation that we're in Captain. A new galaxy, new factions, and a new war. As the ranking officer throughout the fleet, it is my duty to place the well-being of my soldiers first, Code 90- whatever be damned. And while you may not show it Serin, I've known you long enough to know that you feel the same."

Stony-faced, Osman seemed to take these words in, before motioning to BB, and said, "Show him the Project Spear files."

BB sent the requested files to Lasky's datapad, and he began reading as Osman went over the basics of the Project.

"Since the 23rd century, there had been scattered reports throughout the colonies of individuals with 'unique' powers, ESP, abnormal reflexes, even limited telekinetic abilities. Needless to say, this was very intriguing to certain people, and ONI took measures to 'recruit' individuals who possessed such powers. Our scientists were dumbfounded. Tests of all sorts were done, yet no one could identify the trait that made these individuals special."

Lasky raised an eyebrow "The twenty third century?"

BB's avatar seemed to brighten somewhat before resuming his normal hue, as if he could barely contain his excitement on the subject.

"That was the start of UNSC's investigations into this phenomena. But records show this subject has seen alot of study and attention from the various nation-states on Earth since the mid twentieth century. The number of people that possessed this power increased greatly at the end of the 24th century, so much so that we had to build an entirely new facility. Section Three sought to harness the abilities of these people, and use them not as super-soldiers, but a super powered wet works team against the threats of the Insurrection. But the project was still a long way from deployment. However, when the Insurrection started to pick up steam HIGHCOM grew concerned of the very real possibility of the war turning into a nuclear level quagmire in the colonies. Something they were desperate to avoid at any cost. HIGHCOM petioned NAVSPECWEP to find a solution and find one ASAP. Depsite all evidence of the project nor any of its subjects being ready for deployment, ONI section III was determined to see practical gains from the project. Teams of operatives were trained and then deployed against Insurrectionist forces and they did reasonably well all things considered. But there were some...setbacks."

Lasky had a deep sense of unease of what that could be but he pushed past his discomfort.

"What kind of 'Setbacks'?" Lasky asked.

BB's answer confirmed his worst suspicions. "Mismangement for one. The Project head was herself a former subject. She decided that she would 'advance' her position within the UNSC using her teams. Rather than deploy 'Spear' personnel against Inssurectionist forces, she instead deployed them against her rivals to purge them. When ONI got wind of what she was doing, Soldiers from the rival Project Orion were deployed to clean up the mess. The project was fraught with other problems; Lack of proper funding, cost overruns, mismanegement of resources, corruption, numerous subjects deserting or comitting acts of unspeakable cruelty."

"A huge point against the program was that no matter the level of training or stress the subjects were subjected to they were never able to achieve the desired levels of power and skill that had been hoped for. The subjects simply plateaued in power and skill and couldn't overcome it. And that was the main reason why the project failed to meet any of their short term and long term strategic objectives."

"HIGHCOM finally got wind of what was going on and ordered a review of the project. I'll spare you the long winded details and keep it short; but their findings were that Project Spear's research into what seemed to be magic wasn't important, and funds were diverted to Project Orion and later the Spartan program. These programs were able to acheive the desired objectives Project Spear was unable to meet using scientifically understood methods and at a fraction of the cost."

"At the start of the Covenant invasion, the Project was greatly weakened but not forgotten. Teams were trained and deployed against the Covenant, and at it's height Program Spear was over 200 members strong. Though they achieved a number of impessive victories and saved alot of lives, over eighty percent were massacred during the evacuation of the population of Arcadia in 2531. Had Spartan Red Team and the Spirit of Fire not shown up when they had its likely every last one of them would have killed, and the Colony lost. The survivors of those teams remained on Arcadia and helped establish the farming community of Abaskun on the continent of Mu, which kept the UNSC supplied with much need food stuffs and raw materials. They waged a very sucessful gurilla comapain against Covenant raiders and largely suceeded in keeping the planet secure with minimal help from UNSC forces. It wasn't until the Covenant returned in force in 2549 when that changed when the Covenant glassed Mu."

"After the disasterous showing on Arcadia all funding was cut from the program and diverted to the Spartan II and later Spartan III programs. Recruitment was halted in its entirety and the remaining operatives were dispersed between Sections One and Section Zero where they served with distiction. As of our last contact with the UNSC only three operatives live to this day. Curious enough the genetic screenings to find these individuals continued and eventually were perfected. It was believed by ONI that they might have found key genetic sequences that could identify those with these psychic powers. It should be noted that during the Covenant invasion the number of unique individuals with these abilities increased expotentially in a most...disturbing pattern."

Lasky almost didn't want to know, but something was compelling him to ask the fateful question.

"In what way, BB?"

BB was silent for a full second which was odd for an AI of his calibur. When he responded his voice was surprising subdued.

"Perhaps, Admiral, seeing is believing."

The Holograpic table came to life again, showing a full star map of the UNSC in its entirety. Lasky noted the time stamp of year 2500.

"This seems a perfect starting point. As you know this is around the time of the first major spike in these 'Force Sensitives' showing up."

BB brought up another map, this one showing a Dark Red Arrow plunging into the heart of the UNSC. Colony worlds would pulse, flicker and then suddenly go dark. Lasky was all too aware of what he was seeing.

"And this is the Covenant invasion Corridor." BB continued. "The blue dots that appear on the planets in question represent known documented cases of what we now know as Force sensitive. Now I will advance the recording to 2555. Observe what happens."

And so he did. The Red Arrow of the Covenant invasion inexorably moved inward driving to the heart of the UNSC and Earth. But amazingly as they got closer and closer to Earth the number of recorded sightings of these 'Force Sensitives' climbed dramatically...and almost all of them were on planets within the Covenants corridor of invasion, with an almost equal number matching them suddenly popping up on Reach and Earth. Lasky had to struggle to catch his breath when he realized what he was seeing. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and he could feel goosebumps prickle his skin.

This was...impossible. There is no way this could have happened by accident. The sheer improbability of all those children being born in the Covenants invasion corridor was too astronomical to count. And BB didn't seem inclined to calculate the odds of it either. And then a cold dose of horror hit him as a thought occured.

"What happened to all the children?"

BB's answer completely floored him, "Despite the Covenants best attempt...nearly all of them are alive to this day"

The answer litterally took Lasky's breath away.

"As it stands, Project Spear and all of it's personnel are located at a secure space station in deep space, waiting for further instructions to resume operations."

Osman sighed internally. It hadn't been all that hard for ONI Section II to contain news of these remarkable people. Nor was it was it hard for their Propaganda arm to spin any story to its advantage. This proved especially true when the Cole protocol took effect, which allowed ONI to control the flow of information. Rumors of these people rarely if ever left the local planet which was usually attacked and glassed not long after. That coupled with traumatized people who were 'unsure' of what they had actually seen and the general disbelief in these 'psychic powers' usually kept them quiet. And when Section II offered the 'alternative' explanation of a Spartan in armor destroying the Covenant like some angry God of war. Well...it amused her to no end how everyone 'suddenly' remembered the Spartan and their advanced technology and not the weird kid with psychic powers.

Lasky took a moment to get compose himselfs. This briefing was turning into a whirlwind of information he hadn't counted on taking in. Yet another dark secret of ONI. Another program running concurrently along side the Spartan program. Soldiers of humanity who had fought and made the ultimate sacrifice just as millions of other UNSC personnel had done...and there would be no plaques to honor them. No one to mourn them. No one would know what they had done or the sacrices they had made. As Lasky reviewed the pad in his hand he had to admit their accomplishments had been impressive.

Lasky pursed his lips as he read on, and said, "It says here that these people were kidnapped from their homes and families, then underwent indoctrination... and anybody who asked questions or started spreading rumors was promptly 'silenced'."

"ONI did what it had to do Admiral, we needed to know what was going on, so we took some 'liberties'" said Osman, not able to meet Lasky's gaze.

Lasky snorted, "Liberties...I keep hearing that word, but I don't think you people know what it means.."

Osman cleared her throat, feeling uncomfortable under the accusations of the Admiral. _I've had no problem lying to others, why is he different? _

"Needless to say, any and all information regarding Project Spear was classified above top secret, so that is why neither you nor the general public has heard anything about it." Osman explained.

Lasky put the datapad on the table and ran his hands through his hair. "All right, now that that's cleared up, we've got to figure out how we're going to handle this mess. Roland? Get Spartan Thorne over to the Medbay for additional blood testing. And BB, analyze it for these midichlorians. See if those tests ONI thinks might work actually do. Once we know what we're looking for, I want all personnel across the fleet to give samples as well, and analyze them also. See if Thorne's not the only special one in the fleet. After he gives blood, tell Thorne to make his way here. Get Commander Cracken, as well as our recently-freed VIP's in here as well. Let's see if we can have Starkiller or this Rahm Kota guy to agree to train any Force-sensitives we have, based on what that video showed, they could be potential game-changers in this fight. Send a message to Admiral Ackbar, tell him that Kashyyyk is secured, and he can move his forces in."

As his ordered where carried out, Roland got Lasky's attention by saying, "Admiral, I think you might want to take a look at this."

Roland pulled up a feed from the security camera from some cargo bay on the holoscreen, and Lasky turned his head to look at it. What he saw was a being in an orange jumpsuit deflecting laser bolts from a floating orb with one of those energy swords that Lasky saw in the recording, but he was doing so with his eyes covered by his helmet.

"Who is that Roland?" asked Lasky, intrigued.

"That's Luke Skywalker, the CO of Rogue Squadron sir." the AI replied.

"Him again. It seems Skywalker might possess this Force as well. Get him up here as well, I've been meaning to complement him on his squadrons performance during the battle anyway."

"Hold on sir, we have a developing situation. Starkiller just woke up in the Medbay" Roland was quiet for a moment and then announced "He's on the move."

Pulling up a holographic map of that section of the Infinity, a green dot highlighted amidst a sea of blue showed Starkiller's progress as he maneuvered through the corridors. Video camera footage was shown in parrall next to the display as the young man continued on his trek through the ship.

"Where is he going?" Osman asked.

"I'm not sure Captain Osman, but It seems he's moving with a purpose."

Roland was silent for almost a whole minute as were all those present in the room as they watched with facinated interest. Then suddenly Roland seemed to rock back on his heels as a look of surprised crossed his 'face'.

"He's making a bee-line right for Skywalker." observed Roland.

"He doesn't even know the layout of the ship, how is he not lost already?" asked Lasky.

"What I want to know is how he even knew Skywalker was even onboard." Osman added. "There was no communication between these two men during the battle. This is not possible."

"Well whatever business the two have with each other, just make sure you send them up here when they're done." ordered Lasky, and Roland disappeared, tending to his various tasks.

Lasky turned back to his audience

"I can only handle one major revelation a day."

* * *

**UNSC Infinity Cargo Bay, Kashyyyk Space, 29 Standard Hours After Kashyyyk Invasion**

Starkiller just stood there, staring unblinkingly at the man that was in front of him. This man was the son of the person who had caused him so much pain, agony, and anguish over his lifetime, the evil black-armored Sith Lord Darth Vader. All around him, the all-encompassing energy of the Force felt so thick, Starkiller felt like he could reach out and cut swaths in it with his hand.

Seemingly all throughout his body, a war raged inside him. The Dark Side screamed at him through rage, pain, and fear, telling him to seize the opportunity and take revenge for all the horrors he has been through. It was overwhelming and Starkiller felt himself start to fall, The room began to take on a familiar crimson hue as the dark side began to take root.

But like a rope thrown to a drowning man, the Light Side beckoned, offering salvation. The Force projected a word into his head so loudly, that it drowned out all other thoughts. Hope. Hope for him, hope for the Alliance, hope for the Galaxy. Starkiller closed his eyes. Breathing heavily he struggled to reach a calm center in his thoughts as Kota had taught him; trying to let the darkness dissipate, yet it clung to him, persistantly, like a coating of black oil on his soul. The dark side was persistant as it was powerful; whispering dark impulses to his heart building to an inferno of rage, fear and loathing he would then use to unleash on his enemy in an explosion of power.

Yet still he held firm in fighting it off, and slowly as with great reluctance, the Dark side receded as a cleansing spring of light side energy washed it away from him. But not completely. Never completely. Despite the progress he had made in turning away from the Dark Side under Kota's tuteledge it would still be along time before he was free from its pull.

If ever.

He knew what that path would lead to, what harm it would cause, and he would never allow it to take him again. So long as he had Juno's comforting presence to keep him anchored he would fight. She was his salvation.

In his internal struggle he had completely forgot about the young man in the cargo bay with him, and was a little startled when he started talking.

"You're... you're Starkiller aren't you? I've heard a lot about you, but haven't been able to meet you in person yet. I'm Luke Skywalker, Commander of Rogue Squadron."

Luke held out his hand, beaming, as if he had just met his childhood hero.

Starkiller didn't shake it, instead choosing to examine Luke's Force aura more closely. The Force stirred around the blond haired boy. Gently at first like a mid summers breeze but it quickly began to pick up in a serene whirlpool of energy around the two men. Something felt horribly wrong about this meeting, as if it was never supposed to have occured. The swirl of Force energy around the two men felt as if it had been torn asunder before hastily establishing itself into a new possibilities and directions. In his life he had never felt anything like it before. And studying the Son of Vader, he could see the boy could feel it as well.

Skywalker retracted his hand, and a look of confusion crossed his face as he sensed Starkiller's advance. His limited understanding of the Force leaving him speachless and unable to comprehend what he was feeling.

Starkiller began to feel resistance, more than he would have expected, as the whirlpool of Force energy interjected itself betwen the two men. But he pressed on. He needed to find out how Luke was able to deal with being the son of a monster and not go insane, how his soul seemed to be so pure, so good; It raidiated with the Lightside of the Force like a beacon in the night, in a way his never would.

The answer hit him like a durasteel wall, and Starkiller instantly withdrew his queries, eyes widened in surprise.

The poor boy didnt know.

"What did you just do?" questioned Luke, the apprehension evident in his voice. He looked into Starkiller's eyes with curiosity and wonder, but was visibly caught off-guard by the deep sadness that they portrayed.

Starkiller opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again after a couple of seconds. How was he, how was anyone in fact, supposed to say what he needed to say?

"We were never supposed to have met," The words seemed to escape his lips before he could truly grasp their meaning. but as soon as he uttered them he could sense the surety and the unspoken meaning behind them. And with that the gentle swirling vortex of the Force faded back into the gentle streams as the Force once more reastablished a new equilibrium.

"What do you mean?"

Starkiller was at a loss to explain it even to himself let alone this...'boy'. Thankfully his salvation came in the form of Roland, the Infinity's resident AI, materializing on a pedestal near the door.

"Commander Skywalker, Starkiller, Admiral Lasky has requested your presence in conference room A-23, he say's it's important. If you'll please hurry, I'll show you the way."

Starkiller looked at the orange AI for a moment, then back to Luke, before turning on his heel and walking out the door, a slightly bewildered Skywalker following close behind.

Roland gave periodic vocal directions to the pair, and they traversed through a number or corridors, bulkheads, lifts, and stairways in silence.

Soon they reached a door that said in white block lettering, 'Conference Room A-23'

The door slid upward in a pneumatic hiss, and Starkiller and Luke stepped into the room, a large table dominating the center with holoscreens surrounding the wall.

Even without the help of the Force, Starkiller could tell that this meeting involved some of the most important people in the fleet.

At the head of the table sat Admiral Lasky, head hunched down at a datapad in his hands. Starkiller reached out to his Force aura, and could sense that the man was tired, and a little... troubled. Yet despite this, the man radiated confidence, and Starkiller could tell that he was a natural leader.

Next to him sat Captain Osman, whose light brown face was completely void of emotion. However, further review through the Force reveled the inner turmoil that this woman felt, but for what reasons, Starkiller wasn't able to figure out.

Also sitting was General Mason, commander of the UNSC ground forces, Colonel Tarkov of the ODST's, Commander Cracken of Alliance Intelligence, Commander Palmer of the Spartan IV Program, and the one soldier who Starkiller had sensed the flowing prescence of the Force within. On the table Starkiller could see the holographic avatars of the two AI's BB and Roland, and finally, the images of two four-mandibled aliens dressed in ornate armor were on the main holoscreen.

Upon noticing the entrance of Starkiller and Luke, Admiral Lasky looked up from his datapad, putting it on the table. He looked around the room, and satisfied that everyone was present, motioned for Luke and Starkiller to take a seat.

As they did the door hissed closed behind them, and Lasky leaned forwards on his forearms, clearing his throat.

"Gentelmen, we have a number of items we need to discuss. Shall we get started?"

* * *

**Imperial Palace, Imperial Center, Two Days after Invasion of Kashyyyk**

Palpatine sat in his throne, silently brooding. His Force aura radiated feelings of displeasure and disappointment, so much so that the the very air in the throne room seemed to chill.

It had been two days since he had first felt the large disturbance of the Force in and around the system of Kashyyyk, and he narrowed his eyes in disgust at the tell-tale signs of the Light side of the Force. The fact that none of his officers had been able to reach the Imperial forces stationed in the system also irked him to no end. More a few people's lives had been extinguished upon the discovery of that failure.

An aide, human, of course, slowly approached him, bowing on his hands and knees once he got close.

_Like he should_, thought Palpatine.

"Rise." said the Emperor in his gravelly voice.

The man got up to a knee, and head still bowed, said, "My Lord, Captain Molloff is here as you requested."

"Send him in." Finally, thought Palpatine. Upon arriving in-system an hour ago Molloff and his moderately damaged Tartan-class Cruiser Fearsome represented the only news Palpatine had yet to hear from Kashyyyk.

The door hissed open, and Captain Molloff stepped forwards through the opening. Face freshly shaved, hair at the precise Imperial Navy Standard, and full dress uniform not a hair out of place, Molloff looked prim and proper, put Palpatine could knew otherwise.

The Captain's Force aura bled apprehension, stress, and fear like a wounded bantha, and inwardly the Emperor reveled in it. The Dark side of the Force swirled around him live a malevolent whirlwind seeking a target, a testament to the Emperor's wrath. Yet still the Captain held firm though if one looked closely enough one could see how pale he was, the beads of sweat just starting to form on his brow of the small muscle tremor around his mouth.

Captain Molloff fell to a knee in front of Palpatine, uttering the customary "My Lord."

"Rise," said Palpatine, continuing in a deathly quiet voice with "Now Captain Molloff... would you care to explain to me _why_ I haven't been able to contact the Imperial forces around Kashyyyk for the past two days?" Though his voice was calm and level the Captain could easily detect the undercurrent of malice in it.

Obviously taken off-guard by the Emperors tone of voice, Molloff hesitated for a moment before answering. "Um.. yes My Lord, we were attacked."

"Attacked by who? The _Rebels_?" Palpatine almost spit the last word, his voice full of disgust.

"No My Lord. Although there were reports of a squadron of Rebel fighters in the engagement, the main fleet was not. The ships that appeared did not match any of the main profiles in our databases." said Molloff.

Palpatine, leaned back slightly intrigued at that one. He closed his eyes as if listening to something only he could hear. To the Captain it seemed as if the Emperor was in a deep meditative sleep, but he knew better than to assume that. but the Emperor's mind was in fact very active. _A possibly new __species that dared to challenge the might of the Empire? __Foolish! _

"So tell me, Captain. How is it that your ship, and _only_ your ship, ended up here, while the rest of Kashyyyk's defense fleet is nowhere to be found?"

Molloff visibly gulped, before stammering, "Well um... My Lord, we were outnumbered almost two-to-one, and they had weapons that could destroy a Star Destroyer in one shot!"

Palpatine raised an eyebrow in surprise. Destroy a Star Destroyer in a single shot? The Star Destroyer was a symbol of power of the Empire. Just one had the ability to lay waste to planet on his orders. Whatever ships this group possessed were formidable indeed if they could sucessully challenge an Imperial Star Destroyer. No matter, these fools would soon be swiftly crushed by the power of the Empire.

The Captain continued. "Our ships were dropping like Tatooine sand flies. It took the combined firepower of two _Victory_-class Star Destroyers just to destroy one of their smaller tonnage vessels, while their larger ships could go toe-to-toe with the _Imperial _Star Destroyers. Their largest vessel, more than five kilometers long, took a fleet-wide salvo of turbolasers without so much as a scratch. They have energy shielding systems, at least as strong as our own, and they utilize an unknown form of FTL travel that allowed them to surround our ships with ease. The _Fearsome_ was one of our last ships left, and when a missile strike destroyed our hypercomm, I ordered the jump to Imperial Center to make sure the data was received."

The Emperor was silent for a moment, contemplating what he had just heard. The Empire hadn't been defeated in battle since his founding of it, and he wouldn't stand for anything but total elimination of these new enemies.

Palpatine keyed a few buttons on his chair, opening a comm channel to Grand Admiral Osvald Teshik, the officer in charge of the Imperial Center Defense Fleet. The Admiral appeared on the Holo before the Emperor.

"My lord, How may I be of service?" The Admiral bowed respectfully before straighting to attention.

"Admiral," The Emperor said, "Draw a fleet of warships from the surrounding systems, no less than 200 Imperial Star Destroyers, and make best possible speed for Kashyyyk. A new foe has made the grave mistake of challenging the Empire, and I want them put down like the sick dogs they are within the week."

The Admiral nodded evenly. "My lord it will require some time to prepare the forces you require."

Palpatine sneered at the Admiral, "I do not require excuses, Admiral. Only compliance."

The admiral nodded "As you wish my lord, but I must inform you of a developing situation Imperial intelligence has only brought to my attention twenty minutes ago."

The Emperor's eyes narrowed, "Go on."

"My lord, I'm afraid word has been spreading of a massive Imperial defeat at Kashyyyk. I was about to set Imperial Intelligence to confirm the validity of this claim, but seeing as to your new orders, it is all the confirmation I need." The Admiral took a deep breath and continued, "As of now this information has not hit the Holonet nor is it widely known. But word _is _spreading. I suspect by the Rebels propaganda arm."

The Emperor's brow knitted in contemplation, "This information must not become publicly known, Admiral. If the rabble of the Galaxy learn that there are those who can challenge the Empire and live then it might inspire others to action."

"Understood my Lord. We will do all we can. I will personnally lead this endeavor to end this threat to the Empire. But my lord, I will need time to draw the forces I need from across the Empire to not arouse suspicion. Most of our forces are tied down in pacification duties or hunting the Rebels. I will need to be subtle where we draw our forces from or where we stage."

"I am well aware of what my forces are doing, Admiral. Do not presume otherwise!" the Emporer snapped angrily.

The admiral looked terrified for a moment then regained his composure and nodded in acceptance. "Apologies my lord."

"You have one week to ensure this situation has been resolved to my satisfaction. Also, send scout team to the planet of Endor, it is high time that my newest _project_ should begin to get started. Do not fail me, Admiral." The Emporer clicked the line off before turning back to Captain Molloff, who was still on his knee, head bowed.

"_Rise_." said the Emperor, and Molloff did. "For the valuable new information you have brought me about this new threat, you are to be commended."

Obviously not expecting the praise just given to him, a look of surprise quickly crossed Molloff's face, and the Captain did his best to stand straighter, chest swelled a little.

"However, for your ineptitude in combat and the fact that you fled the battle, abandoning the thousands of Imeprial personnel on Kashyyyk and its facilites to fend for themselves, you have my condemnation."

Molloff looked confused for a second, but Palpatine harshly spoke, "Captain Molloff, I hereby relieve you from duty. _Permanently!"_ The Empower snarled.

With a flick of his wrist and a minuscule exertion of the Force, Palpatine reached out to the Force and concentrated on the Captain's windpipe. Slowly applying power with the Dark side of the Force the Emperor basked in the pain and the terror of the Captain as he slowly suffocated to death. Then with a casual flick of his wrist he snapped the man's neck, severing his spinal cord and instantly killing him.

The lifeless body fell limply to the ground, and two aides rushed forwards to take the dead officer away. It wasn't the first they had taken away these past couple of days, and it most likely wouldn't be the last.

Palpatine swiveled in his chair so that he was looking out the transparasteel viewport towards the sprawling skyline of Imperial Center, and keyed another few buttons on his chair. After a moment, the holopad in front of the Emperor came to life, and soon the fuzzy, blue image of his apprentice Darth Vader materialized.

Vader took a knee, and in his deep, mechanically synthesized voice, said "What is thy bidding, My Master?"

"I have sensed a great disturbance in the Force."

"I have felt it as well, my master."

Tell me, Lord Vader, what do you know of the situation on Kashyyyk?" Palpatine asked.

"Only that the disturbance is centered there...Master." Vader responded.

"Indeed. It seems our forces were attacked by as yet unknown group. They have defeated the local garrison force and have taken the planet."

Vader's mechanical breathing seemed to hitch for but a moment "They challenge us?"

"So it would seem, lord Vader."

"The Forces that attacked Hoth were from the augmented garrison at Kashyyyk. The planet was no doubt vulnerable to counter-attack. I sense that my son is right is in the center of all of this. What is our plan of action?" Vader replied.

"A fleet is being assembled, and they will deal with the threat soon enough. Speaking of your son, how goes the operation?" wondered the Emperor.

"All is going according to plan, my Master. Even now we are pursuing Solo and the Organa girl. When I have captured them, my son will have no choice but to rescue them. Then I will capture the boy, and we will turn him to the Dark side of the Force. Once he is one of us, then there will be no one left to challenge us."

Palpatine leaned back in his chair and drummed his fingertips together. "Good_...good_. That is all, Lord Vader."

The Emperor then switched off the holofeed, and went back to staring absentmindedly out the viewport, doing what he did best: ensuring the galaxy would remain under his iron fist.

* * *

On a back-water bog planet in the outer rim, a small, 900 year old, green creature awoke from his cozy slumber besides the fire in his hut.

He heard the call of the Force, quite well in fact. It was as strong as it had been in years, and the creature immersed himself in into the Force's welcoming grasp.

Almost instantly, he located the source of the call. He sensed the potential for great change, and for the chance to sow the seeds that would remove the evil that has permeated the galaxy for so long.

Gathering a small sack of supplies, and his trusty walking stick, the creature opened his small front door and stepped out into the swampland beyond with one thought in his head.

_To Kashyyyk, I must go._


	10. Chapter 10: Beginnings

**Authors Note: So here it is, Chapter 10. Sorry it's taken so long to get out compared to previous chapter, it's just that the past couple of weeks have been pretty crazy due to exams and wrestling. This chapter marks the arrival of that little green alien dude, the return of the UNSC _Blazing Sun_, and our favorite silent ODST, Rookie.**

**As always, please feel free to review and tell me what you think, I really enjoy any feedback you can give me.**

**Special shoutouts go to to my betas Sharnorasian Empire and Jon Harper.**

**Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but all original content is mine.**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Beginnings**

**Bridge of the UNSC Infinity, Kashyyyk Space**

Admiral Lasky sat in his command chair reading some reports on his datapad, when suddenly, at the sensor station, a young officer shouted out, "Admiral sir! We're detecting a small buildup of energy associated with hyperspace exit-vectors!"

Getting out of his chair, Lasky walked over to the main holotank. "Show me."

In a flash of blue, a three dimensional representation of said space appeared on the tank. A glowing purple circle showed the area where the disturbance was located and strings of numbers and symbols ran around its perimeter.

"New contact! 300,000 kilometers distant!" shouted the sensor officer.

_ Infinity's_ ultra high-resolution cameras zoomed in on the vessel, showing a beat-up looking vessel that closely resembled one of Rogue Squadron's X-wings, but instead of having four wings, had only two.

"Is it Imperial?" asked Lasky.

"I'm not sure sir, it's not any vessel we've seen them use... wait a second... its accelerating on an intercept course!" exclaimed the sensor officer.

Inwardly Lasky was surprised. Typically, rushing straight at a warship hundreds of times one size was not a very sane course of action, but Lasky wasn't going to take any chances.

"Comm, prepare to send a warning message, all frequencies." said Lasky, and there was a flurry of typing.

Lasky continued. "Attention unidentified vessel, this is the UNSC Infinity. You are entering the sovereign territory of the Alliance to Restore the Republic and the United Nations Space Command. State your purpose in this system."

There was silence for a moment, and the sensor officer said, "It's still accelerating, 200,000 kilometers out."

"Weapons, get me a firing solution, warning shot." said Lasky, and he saw one of Infinity's Archer missile pods lit up on Infinity's holographic representation. "Attention unknown vessel, identify yourself immediately, or we will take measures to insure our defense."

Another moment of silence, and another moment where the vessel grew ever closer to the Infinity.

"Weapons, fire the warning shot. Archer missile pod H-44, one missile over the bow." ordered Lasky.

On the holotank, a yellow dot detached itself from the hull and began accelerating towards the closing vessel, represented by a red circle.

The Archer missile accelerated to dozens of G-s, and after a few seconds, passed only a hundred meters above the vessel's cockpit.

"Sir, she didn't budge at all, and is now 150,000 kilometers distant." stated the sensor operator.

Lasky slowly nodded. So that's how it's gonna be. "Very well, it's not like we didn't warn her. Four-missile salvo, fire for effect."

Four more yellow dots appeared on the holotank, and homed in on the small craft, who still found it rational to not take any evasive action. Lasky turned his attention to the real-time long range visual cameras to observe the missiles impact.

However, just when all four missile seemed to be on the verge of annihilating the unknown craft, they suddenly diverged off path, passing around the ship, then converged together behind the craft in a fiery explosion.

"What the hell just happened? Some kind of field that disrupted the tracking system?" asked Lasky.

"I don't know sir, the missiles were tracking just fine, and we're not seeing any strange energy readings!" said the weapons technician, puzzled.

"125,000 kilometers!"

"Get an Onager solution on that ship, fire when ready." Lasky ordered.

"Firing!" shouted the weapons tech, and a streak of blue-white raced towards the vessel.

Much to the amazement of Lasky and the bridge crew, the small ship snap-rolled at almost the exact instant the Onager fired, and the projectile passed harmlessly to the left of the vessel.

"Alright, I'm done playing games." said Lasky. "Bring the ship up to full alert status, scramble Broadsword squadrons Bravo through Kilo, and bring our Energy Projector to bear. Lets see if this bastard can dodge light."

As _Infinity_ rotated to bring her main weapon to bear, several squadrons of Broadsword interceptors set up a picket screen between the Infinity and the approaching ship.

"Admiral! Energy Projector is spinning up!" shouted the weapons tech.

"Alright, fire on my command-"

"Admiral wait! Hold your fire!"

Lasky turned to the source of the disturbance, and raised his eyebrows at the sight of General Rahm Kota, fresh out of breath.

"General Kota? What are you doing here? And why shouldn't I fire on that ship?" asked the Admiral.

The General just smiled, saying, "Because sir, he's here to help."

* * *

**Bridge of the UNSC_ Blazing Sun_, Orbit aboce Unknown Forest Moon**

"Sir! Four new sensor reading at maximum range!"

Captain Vasily Ivanov bolted out of his command chair upon hearing the startled report of Lieutenant Jacob Brown, his sensor officer.

"New sensor readings? UNSC? Covenant?" asked Ivanov, even adding a couple of seconds later, "Forerunner?"

"No sir, I've never seen anything like them. Take a look." said Brown, and with a few key presses brought up the ships on the main viewscreen.

The four vessels were roughly dagger-like in shape, and had a large, rectangular structure that was elevated above the rest of the hull. Sensor reading were showing that all of them were around 1,600 meters long, almost 500 meters longer than his own ship. Each had what looked like four heavy weapons emplacements on either side of the elevated structure, and Ivanov assumed that there were many other smaller emplacements embedded throughout the hull.

The Captain of the _Blazing Sun_ had a feeling that this was a vessel designed to strike fear into the heart of its enemies, but he wasn't intimidated. Decades of fighting the Insurrection and the Covenant will do that to a man.

That being said, Ivanov still had no idea what they were here for. They didn't look like peace-keeeping or messenger ships, but for all he knew they could be his ticket back to UNSC-controlled space.

"Joe, see if you can't open a comm channel." said Ivanov.

The holographic avatar of a twentieth-century American football player materialized on the holopedestal near Ivanov's command chair, and his unique southern drawl, said "No need sir, it appears that they're trying to contact us."

The Captain raised his brows a little, then stood up and motioned for Joe to let it through. The main holoscreen activated, and after a few seconds of static, an image of a man appeared.

_Human!_ The man was wearing a gray tunic, with what looked to be colored ribbons on his chest, and a black hat. If Ivanov had to guess, he was military, but of what faction or planet he had no idea. Inwardly though, he was relieved. At least he could hopefully communicate with these unknowns.

Ivanov began to speak, "This is Captain Vasily Ivanov of the UNSC _Blazing_ -"

The other man cut abruptly cut him off, and with a wicked sneer, said "We know who you are, rebel _scum_! You and your pathetic forces are wanted for charges of high treason! Surrender now or prepare to face the wrath of the Empire!"

Ivanov was baffled, and all sorts of questions flowed through his mind. Empire? Rebel? Treason? What the hell was he talking about?

Apparently, the UNSC Captain's brief show of hesitation was all the other man needed, and he said in a very smug voice, "Very well, it seems you've made your choice. Prepare to die."

The transmission ended, leaving the bridge in an eerie silence.

"That could've gone better" muttured Ivanov under his breath.

"Captain, three of the ships are accelerating on attack vectors!" exlaimed Brown.

"If they want a fight, then they'll get one. Sound the call to battle-stations! Bring the reactors up to 110 percent! Hanson, what's the status on the MAC's?"

"Both at 100 percent sir!" he shouted back.

Joe brought up a holographic display of the surrounding space, and said, "Captain, the enemy ships will be in maximum engagement range within one minute."

Ivanov pointed to the fourth enemy ship, which was in the process of breaking off from the rest of his comrades. "What is this one doing? No wait, let me guess, their trajectory will bring them to Alpha Base?"

Joe just nodded in response.

Ivanov sighed, he couldn't do anything to help them yet, not with his plate full the way it was.

_It's a good thing I had all non-essential personnel transferred dirt-side,_ thought the UNSC Captain, before he said, "Notify the ground forces to prepare for a possible invasion."

"Maximum MAC range in thirty seconds." said Hanson.

Joe brought Ivanov's attention to a mass of red dots that had just appeared on the tac-screen. "Uhh, Captain? They just launched a shit-ton of fighters."

"How many is a 'shit-ton' Joe? I need specifics here." said Ivanov, breathlessly.

"About two-hundred." the AI replied.

The skipper let out another heavy sigh. The _Blazing Sun_ was only carrying two wings of twelve Broadswords each, and one of ten Longswords. Thirty-four fighters against two-hundred? "Scramble fighters, but tell them to stay close to the _Sun_! Our point-defense guns might be able to even the odds, they'd get massacred otherwise."

"Ten seconds!"

"Alright, let's see what these assholes are made of."

"They're in range!"

"Target enemy lead, center-mass, MAC one, fire!" shouted Ivanov.

"Firing MAC one!" Hanson shouted back.

The deck shook under Ivanov's feet as the 600-ton depleted uranium slug burst out of the top bow cannon and accelerated towards in target.

In a tense few seconds Ivanov watched the streak of brilliant yellow cut a swath through the inky blackness of space, before impacting with the front of the hostile vessel. Or rather, almost impacted.

The MAC round disintegrated into a field of blue energy that materialized right above the triangle-shaped ship, and Ivanov could see no visible damage to the craft.

The bridge crew had a few choice expletives to offer upon the discovery that their enemy possessed energy-shielding, bad memories from the Covenant War.

Ivanov acted quickly, "Same target, fire MAC two!"

"MAC two, firing!"

There was another thud, and the second MAC round hurled towards the lead hostile.

The targeted ship tried to evade, but the hyper-sonic round stayed true, hitting the very nose of the vessel. Once again the blue shields were summoned to absorb the round, but this time it was a different outcome. Instead of disintegrating like it did last time, the blue field sputtered, then died. Despite the fact that the MAC round energy was significantly reduced, it still packed enough of a punch to knock off a forty meter section of the nose. _Wounded, but not out of the fight._

Ivanov allowed himself a small moment of satisfaction. _At least we can hurt them, _he thought.

"Sir, I'm reading large energy buildup by the enemy ships!" exclaimed Joe.

"Evasive maneuvers!" yelled Ivanov, cursing under his breath.

If these ships were equipped with energy projectors, this battle would be over in a matter of seconds.

Ivanov saw several flashes of light along the hulls of the enemy ships, and a flurry of sapphire green energy bolts raced towards the Sun, different then the pencil-thin white beams of an Energy Projector.

"Can we outrun them?" asked Ivanov, referring to the ever-closing bolts.

"No sir!" said Joe.

Ivanov reacted instantly, "Slipspace, under that lead ship, now!"

The purple-white portal opened up in front of the _Sun_, and with a mighty surge from her engines, the Marathon-class cruiser surged through the opening, the bolts of green energy passing through the space that she had occupied not a second before.

In a split-second, the _Sun_ was back in realspace, directly under the enemy warship.

"Status on MAC one?!" questioned Ivanov.

"85 percent!" replied Hanson.

"Good enough, fire!" ordered Ivanov.

There was another shake, and almost the instant it was fired, the heavy slug impacted the vulnerable underbelly of the triangle-ship.

The resulting kinetic force ripped a gigantic hole in the middle of the ship, and in a series of electrical sparks, groaning, snapping metal, and secondary explosions, the warship split in two, the derelict pieces floating in separate directions.

There was a chorus of cheers throughout the bridge as the crew realized that not only could they hurt this new enemy, but they could also send them to their grave as well.

"Sir, the other ships are turning about!" exclaimed Brown.

"New course, 45 mark 71, put us on a diagonal with those ships!" ordered Ivanov. "New target, far left enemy ship. Status on MAC two?"

"Still charging, it'll be ready in 34 seconds." replied Hanson.

"Alright, well let's give 'em a broadside. All Helilical rail gun batteries on the starboard side and Archer missile pods A-1 through E-26 on my mark!"

The deck shuddered as the _Sun_'s engines accelerated her on her new attack vector, and after a few seconds, optimum weapons range was achieved.

"Fire!"

Dozens of both yellow streaks from 150mm rail slugs and the swirling contrails of Archer missiles littered the space between the two sides as they crossed the distance to the _Sun_'s target.

Not to be outdone however, the remaining two Imperial ships also fired salvos from their main batteries, sending their strange green energy blasts intermingling with the UNSC ordanance.

"Joe! Can we evade those blasts?" asked Ivanov urgently.

"No sir, not in time, and the slipspace capacitors are still charging. I'm diverting shield strength to starboard, but I do recommend fastening your seatbelts." the AI suggested.

"Yeah no shit sherlock..." mutterd Hanson under his breath, and he made sure he was properly strapped into his station chair.

As Ivanov buckled himself him as well, he watched on the viewscreen as the _Sun_'s ordnance impacted against the targeted triangle-ship. The rail slugs struck first, and as the shield reacted small blue craters of energy erupted along the length of the ship. The Archer missiles were close behind, and although a few were destroyed by lances of green point-defense lasers, the majority made it through. The Archers had much the same effect as the rail slugs did, in the fact that they did not penetrate the shield fully. Back on the bridge of the _Blazing Sun_, Ivanov and the command crew shook in their chairs as the cruiser was violently rocked by the energy salvo it had just taken to starboard.

"Status report!" ordered Ivanov. "Our shields took a walloping sir, its holding at thirty four percent. One of the generators blew out, I've got techs and Huragok on route to fix it, but they won't be raising until they do."reported Joe.

"Shit. What did our weapons do to them?" asked the Captain.

"Not much sir, but it seems their ship's point-defenses are lacking compared to ours or the Covenant's, they could be vulnerable to more missiles. MAC two also ready to fire." said Hanson.

"Alright, bring us about to face them. Launch the rest of the Archer missiles from the port side, and time the MAC round to impact with the missiles. Hell, put a couple of fusion rockets in there for good measure also."

"Yes sir, missiles away."

There was a series of thumps, and this time hundreds, instead of a few dozen, Archer's accelerated towards the hostile vessel.

"Uh, Captain? The other ship just fired another salvo, its only half as large as before, but it'll still won't be pleasant if it hits. Impact in fourteen seconds." observed Brown.

"Goddammit, how long until we fire the MAC?" said Ivanov, irritated.

"Eleven seconds sir." replied Hanson.

Ivanov let out a heavy breath, then said, "Stay on course, but as soon as that MAC round clears the barrel activate our emergency maneuvering thrusters!"

There was a tense silence on the bridge as the seconds ticked by, and the laser salvo grew ever closer to the _Sun_. Ivanov bet he could have cut the anxiousness with a knife.

Then it was over. "MAC 2, firing!"

"Thrusters, now!"

Almost the exact instant the MAC was fired, tens of tanks containing trihydride tetrazine and hydrogen peroxide, which creates a significant explosive force when mixed, activated, violently propelling the ship to port. The energy bolts passed only fifty meters or so past the _Sun_, mere inches in terms of space combat. So close in fact, that the heat bleed-off from the passing rounds lowered the shields another five percent.

Though the _Sun_ barely escaped destruction then, the enemy vessel it had targeted did not fare as well. The kinetic force from the MAC round shattered the remaining shields of the ship, physically pushing the ship back and causing the two dome-like structures on the top of the elevated bridge to violently explode.

Now without shields, the missile salvo impacted milliseconds later, to devastating effects. Scores of Archer missiles pockmarked the entire length of the hull, tearing off chunks of hull plating and burrowing into decks. Blasts of air and small explosions rippled through the ship due to the sudden decompression of previously sealed chambers. The three fusion rockets that were fired delivered the coup de grâce, as one annihilated the bridge and two impacted amidships. Unable to sustain the damage it had taken, the ships reactor went critical, turning the rear third of the ship into a sea of boiling, molten metal. Hull integrity almost completely gone, pieces of the ship began to break off, leaving a once-mighty warship nothing more than scrap.

This time there was no celebration, as Ivanov quickly started giving out orders again. "MAC one should be ready by now. Fire a round at that last ship, then jump us underneath it, just like we did with the first one. Prepare to fire the rest of our starboard missiles and rail guns."

The _Blazing Sun _turned to face the last enemy ship, who was doing the same as well.

"MAC one firing!" shouted Hanson, and sure enough, with a familiar rumble the hypersonic slug shot its way towards the hostile vessel, bouncing off its shields, but hopefully weakening them enough for a follow-up strike.

The purple-white of the slipspace portal once again filled the forward viewscreen, and the _Sun_ quickly accelerated into it.

When they exited however, the UNSC bridge crew was at first confused, then horrified.

Instead of returning to realspace below the enemy warship like they should have, they were now directly above its dorsal face, with the ships heavy weapons turrets pointed right at them.

"What the hell?" yelled Ivanov, but that was all anyone got to say before a full salvo of green energy slammed into his cruiser.

The _Sun_ jolted so violently that Ivanov swore he cut off a piece of his tongue with his teeth, and now the metallic taste of copper filled his mouth.

He took a second to spit a mouthfull of blood on the deck, before groggily asking, "Status, how bad was it?"

Although he couldn't see Joe, Ivanov could still hear him.

"FUBAR sir. Shields are gone, engines are gone, MAC cannons are gone, and we're venting atmosphere on multiple decks. Engineering was almost completely taken out, I can't reach anyone down there, but I still have contact with the reactor itself." Just then the bridge lighting flickered, then died, and the dull red emergency lighting bathed the deck in its somber tone. "Also, the lights are out."

"So we're dead in the water. How's the hull integrity?" asked Ivanov.

"Forty-two percent sir, not too great." replied Joe.

Ivanov grimaced slightly. The _Marathon_-class cruisers were known to be some of the best armored ships the UNSC possessed, with 191 centimeters of Titanium-A battle plate integrated into its well-structured design. The fact that one full volley from that ship's heavy weapon emplacements not only whittled away a good thirty percent of the remaining shields, and still had enough power to critically damage the _Sun_ like its was, was frightening.

Going through his options, Ivanov questioned, "What about the missiles left on the starboard side?

Hanson quickly answered that one, but Ivanov could tell through his ragged breathing that his old friend was banged up pretty bad. "Guidance systems are acting all screwy, we'd be as likely to hit ourselves as them. Also, when we dropped out the triangle ship maneuvered to face our port side, so a blind launch wouldn't do much good either."

Ivanov spait again, at least this time the red lighting helped the blood blend in.

"Lieutenant Hikowa, do we have any sensors still up?" After receiving no answer, he looked over to her station, again saying "Hikowa what the hell is taking so -"

Ivanov cursed under his breath when he saw her, head hanging limp to the side, body motionless. A small trickle of blood ran down her chin from the corner of her mouth, and the Captain could see a bump of skin on her neck that wasn't supposed to be there.

Joe answered his question before he even asked it. "Broken neck sir, she died during the impact."

"The fucking bastards..." said Ivanov. "This was her first assignment out of Academy. Did you know she graduated top of her class? Goddamn waste..."

Joe was silent a moment before saying, "Ain't that some shit that don't stink. More bad news, based off a few visual cams I still have left, that enemy ship is pulling up along our starboard side. I think she might send boarding parties."

"Well if that's the case, I'm instituting the Cole Protocol. I want all navigation data, weapons schematics, force deployments, personnel roster, everything gone. And Joe? An AI of your importance _cannot _be allowed to fall into enemy hands. Given our situation, you know what that means..."

"Don't worry Captain, I'll do my duty."

There were a series of resounding clangs coming from close by. The bridge crew went quiet, and Ivanov disengaged his safety harness, slowly drew his M6D, and took a position covering the bridge bulkhead.

Hanson and Brown did the same, and soon all three of them were waiting, pistols pointed at the door.

It was a tense couple of minutes, when suddenly Ivanov heard the sharp cracks of gunfire on the other side of the door. _That must be the Marine bridge guard_, _God help them_. The UNSC Captain also heard a large amount of unfamiliar whines answer the sporadic gunfire, and after a few seconds, the gunfire stopped.

"Joe, worst case scenario..." began Ivanov.

"The reactor's locked down and primed for self-destruct. I have it linked to your neural implant to blow if your vitals flatline, or if I send the activation code."

Ivanov just nodded. "Is there any way you can transfer yourself off the ship?"

"That's a negative sir, at our current bandwidth it you'd have a harder time trying to illegally download a song from the Internet. We're all in this together Captain."

A series of bangs brought Ivanov's attention back to the bridge's reinforced Titanuim-A door, and he checked his pistol one final time.

"Get ready." he said.

There were a few more bangs, then at the bottom at either side of the door, the seams turned molten red. They worked their way up the side of the door, then across the top, meeting in the middle.

_Gospod' dayet nam silu. _Lord give us strength.

The door exploded inward, and Ivanov fired his pistol into the opening, feeling the kick of the recoil against the back of his palm.

A seemingly huge wave of soldiers clad in bright white armor stormed the bridge, and despite the best efforts of the remaining crew, the UNSC personnel was quickly overwhelmed.

Strange red bolts of energy heated the air around him as the mysterious troopers returned fire.

His magazine empty, Lieutenant Brown threw his pistol an invader a few feet away, then with a mad scream, rushed at him, tackling him to the ground. Brown produced a combat knife from his belt, and buried it up to the hilt in the black bodysuit around the white troopers neck. Bright red blood poured from the fatal wound, and the trooper gurgeld and flailed on the deck. The other boarders shot Brown several times before he even had a chance to remove the knife, and soon he lay still.

Beside him, Lieutenant Hanson took a bolt to the right side of his chest, and he spun around before falling to the deck on his left side.

Turning to see if Hanson was alright proved to be Ivanov's mistake, as he as well was hit twice, once in the right leg, and the other in his weapons also fell backwards, ending up on his he couldn't feel anything, Ivanov could see that the red bolts the boarders used had burned through his uniform and that his blackened skin resembled charcoal more than anything else.

The boys in white soon surrounded both him and Hanson, black rifles leveled right at them.

At the door, a man walked in, dressed differently than the rest of the boarders. Ivanov instantly recognized him, it was the man he had spoken to before the battle had first begun, the one who had accused him of some sort of treason.

He slowly walked over to the incapacitated UNSC Captain, the same smug smile on his face. The man pushed one of his troopers aside so that he was looming over Ivanov, and took a moment to survey his condition.

"You should have listened scum. Your inferior forces couldn't have hoped to stand up to the might of the Galactic Empire." the man said.

_Galactic Empire? From some part of the Milky Way we haven't explored? But wait, could it be..._, Ivanov saved that thought, it wouldn't do him any good now. He looked up into the man's eyes, then said. "Inferior? Last time I checked you started with three ships to our one, that doesn't sound like inferior to -"

Ivanov was cut off by a vicious kick to the face by the man, and he groaned in pain, vision darkening around the edges. He spit onto the floor, and in addition to the usual blood, a thought he could see a few teeth.

With a large effort, Ivanov turned his head to look back up at the man, who was now smiling openly at the UNSC Captain's pain. Ivanov smiled at him though bloodstained teeth, saying, "Is that all you've got? My grandmother could kick harder than -"

This time the man delivered a hard kick to his chest, and Ivanov heard a few sickening cracks. It felt as if someone had stabbed the inside of his chest with dozens of ice-picks, and now breathing was a colossal effort.

"There will be much more of that to come, Mr. Ivanov. You and your friend will be transported to Imperial Center, where you will then undergo the worst, and last experiences of you life. You will tell us the information we need to know, then you will be disposed of with maximum efficiency."

Ivanov turned his head to Hanson, who was holding a hand to his side, breathing heavy and ragged. Ivanov noticed that Hanson's pistol was only a foot or so away, and Hanson did as well.

Following his gaze, one of the troopers warned in a synthesized male voice, "Don't even think about it you scum."

Hanson looked towards the pistol, then to Ivanov. The two men shared a gaze of understanding, and Hanson surprised Ivanov by saying in Russian, "Eto bylo chest'yu ser." _It's been an honor sir._

Ivanov's friend then lunged for the gun, but before he could move more than a few inches he was shot right in the head and went limp, face blackened and disfigured.

It was then when Joe made his appearance, appearing literally inches in front of the grey tunic wearing man's face.

If his mouth and throat weren't clogged with blood and bits of tooth, Ivanov would have chuckled, but nonetheless, the man's sudden jump backwards showcased his surprise.

After a couple of seconds, the man's expression turned into one of recognition. "Ah, an Artificial Intelligence, how quaint. Couldn't run the ship by yourselves?"

In his deep southern drawl, Joe growled, "Go shove your dick down a garbage disposal."

Clearly offended by Joe's brashness, the man grew angry, and yelled at Joe, "Now listen here you antiquated line of code -"

He was cut off mid-sentence by Joe, using the bridge speakers to amplify his voice. "No _you_ listen you little piece of shit. I've watched you kill my friends, and now it's you turn."

A holographic timer appeared near Joe, and started counting down from five minutes.

The characteristic female voice of the general warning program came through the bridge's speakers, "Self-destruct sequence initiated. Recommend immediate evacuation of all personnel to minimum safe distance."

The man glared at Joe, then Ivanov, brows furrowed in anger. He then motioned to his troops, saying "Back to the Star Destroyer! Move your _shebs_!"

The soldiers quickly filed out the door, and right as the arrogant man was about to leave, Joe called out, "Hey! Jerkoff!"

The man stopped, turning his head slightly. Joe continued, arms crossed against the chest pads of his holographic avatar. "I was just fucking with you, I don't need a countdown. Have fun in hell!" He then started laughing, and Ivanov joined in to the best of his ability, watching as a look of absolute horror cross the enemy man's face, then his world turned white forever.

* * *

When the _Blazing Sun_'s reactor went critical, it enveloped both ships in a ball of superheated white, then climaxed in an enormous explosion.

What was left of the _Sun_ was completely annihilated, while pieces of the neighboring Star Destroyer were propelled in hundreds of different directions at insane speeds, due to the force of the explosion.

The largest piece, about four-hundred meters of the front point of the Star Destroyer, was propelled on a course that would have it impact the surface of the nearby forest moon, at a particular location that would have disastrous effects...

* * *

**Alpha Base, Surface of Unknown Forest Moon**

Rookie awoke slowly, and took a moment to survey his surroundings.

He was obviously in a medical facility, that much he could tell by the whitewashed walls, smell of antiseptic, and comfortable bed he was laying in.

He raised his arms, and saw that the gashed he had sustained from the fight with that huge wolf-thing had been stitched, and were slowly fading into scars.

Noticing that he was awake, a Navy nurse hurried over to his side. "Good, your awake. It's been about two days since you were admitted, but you're healed up just fine. You need to get your rear I gear, the _Blazing Sun_ has been engaged by unknown forces, and Captain Ivanov radioed us to prepare for an attack. Your squad is out on patrol right now, as soon as you gear up, there will be a Falcon waiting to take you to them."

She pointed to a tall locker against the wall by his bed, and when Rookie saw it he swung his legs over the side, feeling fine.

He opened the locker and was greeted by the sight of a brand new set of ODST body armor and fatigues. His old boots were still there though, _good, won't have to break those in_, he thought.

A Battle Rifle was leaning against the wall, and an M6D lay on top of a black box that Rookie assumed contained ammo.

The Navy nurse politely averted her eyes while the ODST changed, and within two minutes Rookie was fully dressed and armored, minus his helmet.

"Guess that hard-core ODST training comes in handy sometimes." joked the nurse, a small smile upon he lips.

Rookie just nodded in return, and bent over to pick up his rifle, when suddenly the ground beneath him began to shake.

"What the hell-" said the Navy nurse, before being interrupted by another shake.

This one was much more violent, so much so that it caused Rookie to stumble into his bed, arms placed on the side for support.

The navy nurse didn't fare so well, falling almost flat on her face.

The trembling just continued to grow larger, and Rookie felt the bones in his body shaking, bracing himself on the bed.

The nurse started to scream, and Rookie turned his head to see if he could help her, only to be greeted by the sight of his locker detach itself from the wall and fall right towards him.

Rookie raised his arms, but wasn't fast enough, and for a split-second he felt cold metal of the locker impact his forehead. _This has to stop happening to me_, the unlucky ODST thought, before everything again, turned to black.


	11. Chapter 11: Yoda

**Authors Note: Hey all, I'm going to start out immediately with a HUGE apology that it's taken so long to update, compared to how I used to. I've just been really busy with school, wrestling, and other activities for the past couple of weeks.**

**That being said, here's the next installment of Halo: New Horizons**

**As always, extremely special thanks to my betas JonHarper and Sharnorasian Empire for their suggestions and corrections.**

**PLEASE REVIEW! I love hearing my readers feedback! It doesn't even have to be long, just a sentence or two about your favorite quote, character, or event in the chapter, or even in the whole story. (Just a thought, if every one of my favorites reviewed, it could _double_ the amount this story has already!)**

**Anyway, hope I didn't sound like to much of a review-whore there. **

**Enjoy**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but all original content is mine.**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Yoda**

**Alpha Base, Surface of Unknown Forest Moon**

Rookie awoke to find he was on his back, his eyelids fluttering open, trying to adjust to his newly gained conciousness.

The first thing he noticed was how bad his head hurt, and upon putting an armored hand up to his left forehead, felt the crusty residue of dried blood through his gloves.

Dull red emergency lighting flickered on and off in the small medical room, giving the area a strange, eerie feeling.

So quiet that he could barely make it out, Rookie heard some sobs and sniffles coming from somewhere else in the room. _That must be the nurse,_ he thought, _I hope she's all right. _

Rookie tried to raise himself up on his elbows, only to find that the weapons locker that had knocked him out had pinned his left arm to the floor. The ODST shifted his body weight around, braced his right hand on the side of the locker, and with a grunt, pushed the locker off of his arm, shaking it to regain feeling.

The sound the locker made when it came back to the floor must have alerted the nurse to his activity, and the soft crying quickly stopped.

Raising himself to a sitting position, Rookie looked over to the nurse, who was sitting against a wall, knees pulled to her chest.

After wiping her face with her hands, she looked at Rookie with red, slightly swollen eyes, a relieved expression on her face. Voice quivering, she said, "Done with your nap?" She tried her best to give a small smile, and Rookie did her the grace of returning it.

The Helljumper looked at the door, and following his eyes, the nurse said, "It won't open. Something wrong with the locking mechanism, I think."

Rookie got up and walked over to the door. He pressed a finger to the button that should have opened the door, but as he expected, nothing happened. He tried it one more time just to be sure. Nothing. Rookie put his hands on the door, and lifted upwards, to no avail. Standard UNSC doors and bulkheads had locking mechanisms underground; great in terms of strength and durability, but it didn't help him in his current situation.

The ODST took a couple of steps back, raised his leg, and delivered a solid kick to the metal obstacle, which resulted in nothing but a loud clang.

Rookie looked at the nurse, still sitting on the floor watching his progress (or lack thereof), and pointed to the watch on his wrist.

Picking up on his gesture, she said, "It's been three hours since you were unconscious. You think someone would have come by now..."

Rookie nodded absentmindedly, searching the ground for his helmet. He found it underneath the bed, and went to put it on. However, before he could lower it over his head, the nurse jumped up, saying "Wait!"

The ODST paused, and the navy nurse walked over to a cabinet, then started to shuffle through some drawers. After a few seconds she turned back to him with a bottle of rubbing alcohol in one hand, and a pad of gauze in the other. She opened the cap of the alcohol, poured some onto the gauze, and proceeded to gently rub Rookie's forehead where the locker had impacted.

Rookie flinched ever so slightly at the sting of the alcohol, and after she was done cleaning the wound, the nurse put a sterile bandage on it.

"All done," she said, "I forgot to bring my lollipops, sorry."

They both smiled a bit at her lame joke, and the nurse continued, "My name's Janice, by the way, Jan for short. Listen, I read your medical file, and I know about your... um... problem. I just want you to know that I completely understand, and don't feel pressured to talk if your not able to." Janice gave Rookie a reassuring smile, and put a hand on his arm.

Rookie looked into her bright green eyes for a moment, then nodded, proceeding to put his helmet on. There was a slight hiss as the suits pressure seal activated, and his HUD quickly came to life. With a few eyeball movements and a couple of blinks, Rookie accessed the comm channel. He was puzzled, however, when the readouts showed that the only comm channel functioning in his immediate area was his. The ODST tried increasing the range of his comm, first to ten, then to thirty kilometers. Nothing.

_Now what would cause an entire base of UNSC personnel to suddenly go off the grid?_ Rookie had a sinking feeling in his stomach that he already knew. The nurse had said that the Blazing Sun was under attack when he woke up, could these same forces be responsible for the silence that greeted Rookie?

He didn't know the answer to that, but he did know that if he were to find out, that door had to go.

The Helljumper walked over to the large black box labeled "AMMO", undid its latches, and started rifling through its contents. The several magazines of Battle Rifle and Magnum ammo he strapped to his armor or put in his armored rucksack, along with a few grenades, and a small survival pack.

Rookie found an extra rucksack, tossed it to Janice, and pointed to the cabinet with the medical supplies. She nodded in understanding, and began to fill the ruck with the contents of the cabinet. He also passed her a pair of extra BDU's. Worst case scenario, the jet black would most likely be more advantageous than the starch white of her nurses dress.

The ODST angled himself so that he couldn't see Janice, and continued searching through the box. Gotcha, he thought, as he pulled out a block of C12, and some detonation cord.

He chanced a glance back towards the door and Janice, only to see her fully dressed in the fatigues, rucksack on her back. "A little loose, but not to bad. It certainly wont win me any fashion shows." she said.

Rookie motioned for her to go to the other side of the room, and he began lining the edges of the door with det cord. Once that was done, he used his combat knife to cut the C12 plastic explosives into small pieces, and placed them at key points on the door, especially near the bottom where the locking mechanism was located. Finally, he connected the C12 with the det cord, and carefully stuck a remote detonator that would be activated via his HUD into one of the blocks.

Rookie then joined Janice at the other side of the room, and the both of them dragged the weapons locker, ammo box, and even the medical bed into a makeshift barricade. When dealing with high-powered explosives in a confined space, one couldn't be too careful.

After a moments thought, Rookie unhosltered his M6C/SOCOM, and offered it to Janice, who after a brief hesitation, took it into her small hands. As if she could read his mind, Jan said "Don't worry, I know how to use it, it's just been a while since I've qualified."

She then ejected the magazine, inspected the top rounds, slid it back in, racked the slide to chamber a round, and put on the safety. Rookie handed her a couple more magazines, which she put in her fatigue pockets.

Rookie then pointed towards the explosive-laden door, and held up three fingers. Janice got the hint and went prone on the deck, covering her face and ears. Rookie did the same, angling his body to protect Jan's, and turned his audio dampeners to full. He waited a couple of seconds, then with a few blinks, sent the activation code to the detonator.

The ODST didn't hear anything, kudos to his helmet, but certainly felt the explosion, and the concussive force managed to lift him off the floor an inch or two. He and Jan waited a few seconds for the dust to settle before they both stood up. Rookie was relieved to see the door had toppled outwards, and that the way out of the room was now open. He was also glad that they had taken the time to construct their makeshift barricade, as a sizable piece of metal had lodged itself into the side of the ammo box.

The two climbed over the barricade and over a couple of debris pieces, before heading out the door into a short hallway.

"This leads outside, there should be a door around this corner." said Jan.

Any more doors and I might run out of explosives, Rookie thought to himself, before the two arrived at said proceeded over to the control pad by the metal barrier, and pressed the button. Much to the surprise of the pair, the panel flashed green, and the door opened with a hiss.

Right into a scene out of hell.

The entire world was on fire, or at least it seemed that way. All the buildings that would have otherwise been there, the command center, the barracks, the motor pool, were now just piles of burning rubble. Large chunks of scorched metal littered the ground, creating fields of impact craters. Judging by their position and impact trails, Rookie guessed that some of the larger chunks hit Alpha Base's structures, resulting in their current status.

The burned-out husks of various vehicles were abound; Warthogs cut in half, Mongoose parts everywhere, Scorpions missing turrets and treads, there was even an Elephant, with half its body completely melted. Rookie was dismayed to see that even Alpha Base's aerial vehicles didn't escape destruction, with the distinct chassis of Hornets, Falcons, Pelicans, and SkyHawks on the ground in varying states of destruction.

And of course, there were the bodies. So many bodies. For once, Rookie was thankful for his inability to speak, because he wasn't even sure what he would have said. Despite the things he had seen at New Jerusalem , and at New Mombasa, nothing could have prepared him for the carnage he saw here. The best description he could have given it would be that someone put the whole camp through a meat grinder.

The macabre sight combined with the awful smell of burning motor oil and charred flesh proved to be too much for Jan, as she quickly turned away and promptly emptied the contents of her stomach.

Rookie switched his HUD over to thermal vision to see if he could detect a body that still held heat, and therefore, possibly life. All he could see however, were the cold blue silhouettes that dead bodies produced, and he was about to switch back to normal vision, when he suddenly spotted something out of the corner of his eye. He quickly jerked his head, and was amazed to see the bright orange and yellow of heat within a human body, about 100 meters away.

The ODST took off at a run towards the figure, and seeing him leave, Jan recovered from stooping over the ground, and quickly followed him.

Upon reaching the figure, a man in camouflage fatigues, Rookies hopes sunk. There was a substantial piece of shrapnel about the size of Rookie's forearm embedded in the man's stomach. The hard green substance which was biofoam lined the wound, and an empty can was on the ground a short distance away. _That explains why he's stayed alive so long,_ thought the Helljumper, but he could see a large amount of dried blood coating his fatigues, and on the ground, meaning he's lost a significant amount of blood. Judging from his name tag and shoulder insignia, this was Private Blake, attached to Fourth Company Headquarters Platoon. His face was as pale as a ghosts, and his breathing was shallow and jagged. It was obvious he wasn't far off from death.

Janice got on both knees beside the Private Blake, and cupped his head with one hand, the other wiping away some dirt and grime by his eyes. Blake looked at Jan and smiled weakly.

"Come to... rescue me?" he said between breaths.

Jan didn't know what to say, so instead she asked, "What happened here? Why is the camp...gone?"

The dying soldier closed his eyes, then said, "I was manning the radio...we were... in contact with the... Blazing Sun. They were attacked by... four hostiles... managed to take out two... one's on it's way here..."

"What about the remaining ship?" asked Jan.

"I don't know... there was an explosion... large enough to see from the ground... we lost contact after that." Blake softly said. Suddenly, he started to hyper-ventilate, and his eyes darted back and rifled through Jan's rucksack and pulled out a syringe of morphine. He injected it into Blake's leg.

"Oh god, the pieces! The pieces came... of the ship... it was so fast.. no time... to evacuate... Jacobs...Ramirez...all dead!" said Blake, the fear showing in his voice. His eyes seemed to glaze over, and Blake took a few more short, quick breaths, then he didn't breath anymore.

The two survivors were motionless for a moment, then Rookie reached over and closed Blaked eyes with his hand. The ODST then reached into his fatigues, pulled out his dogtags, and stored it in a pouch in his armor. Rookie stood up, and put a hand on Jan's shoulder, silently conveying the message, We have to go.

The pair got up, and Rookie set off at a jog, Jan quickly matching his pace.

"Where are we going?" asked the nurse.

The Helljumper pointed at his rifle, then his armor.

"The armory?" questioned Jan.

Rookie nodded. The armory was on the outskirts of Alpha Base, hopefully it had been left relatively intact. Blake had said that there was one hostile ship left. Worst case scenario, Rookie wanted to be more prepared than he was now if they decided to send ground forces to the surface.

They got to to the armory in a couple of minutes, which, much to Rookie's relief, was still standing. The door guards, however, were not so lucky. One was nowhere to be found, while to other had been decapitated by a piece of shrapnel that was embedded in the wall where he would have been standing.

They entered the building, and went to the room that housed the extra armor. Rookie quickly fitted Jan with the basic marine battle-plate, which she clearly looked uncomfortable in. Most important however, was the helmet. There was an option that allowed Rookie to send text messages right to the HUD of other helmets, hopefully it would solve him and Jan's communication dilemma.

He tested it out by sending, _"Can you read this?"_

Jan was surprised for a second, then said with a smile, "Yes I can."

"_Good. Alright, this is what we're going to do."_

Rookie motioned out the door to the remains of Alpha Base before continuing,_ "Private Blake said that there was a hostile ship that was making its way here. This is the first place they'll check for survivors, so we can't stay here much longer. There's still a chance that some of our longer range patrols managed to escape the destruction, hopefully we can link up with them."_

"Your squad?" Jan asked quietly.

Rookie was silent for a few seconds before sending,_ "They were on one of those long range patrols, hopefully they're okay."_

He opened a storage closet and withdrew several large duffel bags.

"_Fill these up with as much as you can carry. Weapons, ammunition, explosives, extra armor, anything important. Once the hostiles find the armory, they're probably going to destroy it. If we do end up making contact with other USNC personnel, and the hostiles begin to actively pursue us, we're going to need all the ordnance we can get."_

The two started quickly filling up the duffel bags, and Jan asked, "Where are we going to put all of this?"

Rookie hoisted two duffel bags on his shoulders, and grabbed a shovel.

He walked out the back entrance, towards the forest, Jan following with a duffel bag of her own. The tree-line was about 100 meters away, and the then went another 100 meters inward. Once they reached a spot that Rookie deemed satisfactory, they put down their bags, and Rookie started digging.

"_Go back and get the rest of the bags." _

Jan nodded and went off, while Rookie kept digging through the ground. Thankfully, it was relatively soft, and he was able to make good progress. After he made a decent sized hole, the ODST dropped his two duffel bags into the hole, along with an encrypted UNSC transmitter, for when he needed to find them later. He packed the dirt back into the holes, then covered it with leaves, twigs, and other assorted debris. Jan then returned, dropping off two more bags.

As she turned to leave Rookie couldn't help but notice the MA5K, the carbine version of the venerable MA5 rifle, attached to the magnetic clamps on her back.

"_Found a new toy?"_ he jokingly sent.

She turned around and smiled at him, "Something a little more my size. Oh and by the way, here's your pistol back, I found my own."

Jan tossed Rookie his M6C/SOCOM, which the ODST deftly caught, before the nurse turned away to get more bags.

Rookie gathered his shovel and two more duffels, then walked fifty meters to his left, before repeating the process he had done with the first two bags.

That is how it went for about forty-five minutes, at the end of which Rookie had seven holes spaced evenly apart with two duffel bags of supplies in each.

Before he buried the last bag, Rookie had made sure to take out some C12, mines, detonators, and thin, clear wire.

They made their way back to the armory, and Rookie marked some positions on the ground in front of the armory with X's.

"_Bury the mines where the X's are, and try to make it look like there's nothing there. I'll go and rig the inside."_

In five minutes they were done, and a nasty surprise would await any hostile that tried to enter the armory. There was a tripwire inside the armory itself, which was connected to a detonator, which was in turn connected to the various blocks of C12 throughout the building. The mines were also synchronized to the detonator, which would ensure that hostiles both inside and outside would be caught in the blast.

"What if any surviving UNSC members try to access the armory, thinking that they would need weapons as well?" asked Jan.

It was a good question, one that Rookie had prepared for. _"I've placed another transmitter beacon, like the ones at the weapons caches, telling them to stay away, and direct them towards the buried weapons. Anyone of our guys with a helmet, comm device, or neural lace should be able to pick it up." _

Just then, Rookie thought he caught a glint of light in the sky out of the corner of his eye. He looked at the area in question, but couldn't see anything. The ODST decided to increase the magnification on his visor to x10, and thought he could barely make out a shape. He went to x20, the maximum magnification, and this time could clearly see what had caught his attention.

It was a ship, triangle-shaped, with a large rectangular structure protruding from the top. It wasn't UNSC, and it definitively wasn't the Blazing Sun. And judging by the fact that it was getting larger in his HUD, it was heading right for them.

Jan saw that he was looked towards the sky and asked, "What are you looking at? Is it the other ship?"

Rookie just nodded, and motioned for Jan to follow him.

"_Let's go."_

* * *

**Private Office aboard UNSC **_**Infinity**_**, Kashyyyk Space**

Osman sat in her office chair, strumming her fingers on the armrest in boredom.

It was only until she saw the formidable bulk of the captured Star Destroyer _Accuser _out the viewport, floating in the middle of the USNC formation that she began to truly consider the problem. The Empire had not handled their humiliating defeat well and had decided to punish the surviving crew of the _Accuser_ for their failure. Just a day ago the Empire had sent a coded message to the _Accuser_. Inside was an attached video showing Imperial storm troopers rounding up the families of the crew. Another imbedded video showed the familes being herded against a wall and then executed by firing squad; their bodies dumped into a shallow graves and left to rot.

When the video had been shown to the crew they had at first hadn't believed it. But the surviving first officer had verified its authenticity with an encoded sub channel ID. A wave of shock, disbelief and finally agonizing greif and had swept through the ship as the crew's morale plumeted. They had believed their Empire would standby them, would come to their rescue, instead they had been betrayed in the worst sort of manner. The gruesome footage had hardly elicited any sympathy from the Alliance personnel; many of whom had suffered just as much as the crew of the _Accuser_ had.

Osman had steeled herself against the gruesome footage. She'd seen worse, oh god had she seen worse. But the casual cruelty against their own civilians, who they were supposed to protect, simply becuase they were the family of soldiers who had failed in their mission painted the true face of the Empire in way nothing else could. ONI for all its sorid history had never done anything like that. Though she was no saint by a longshot, Osman was glad that Lasky had decided to take a stand against the Empire.

At first glance their fight seemed hopeless. No matter how powerful the _Infinity_ or her battlegroup was or how powerful their Allies seemed to be, their enemy would always have more. More ships, more troops, more guns. Vastly more resources they could throw into the grinder without so much as a thought to casualties. She'd seen the figures on the Empire that BB could extract from multiple classified sources and matched them with what Alliance Intelligence had been able to gather. The numbers were simply _staggering_.

The Empire was perhaps a hundred times larger than the UNSC had been at its height..._at the minimum_

Their endeavor seemed impossible. Yet at the same time Osman knew that size and power was a weakness in itself. Like the UNSC had once been, the Empire was bloated with bureaucrats who were corrupt or simply lacked basic compassion to their people. It was causing all sorts of problems across the Empire. And the Empire's typical response was to send in the fleet and Stormtroopers to quell the problem before it spiraled out of control. This often led to resentment and growing Anti-Imperial sentiments.

Which meant that a vast majority of the Imperial fleet was tied down in pacification duty. Factor in R&R, refit cycles and general law enforcement duties and it meant that the Empire couldn't focus that vast power on one particular target.

Osman had met with Commander Cracken at his insistence as soon as he had found out she was his counterpart for the UNSC. How he had discovered that fact was still a mystery as she hadn't advertised for obvious reasons, but he had somehow found out.

She found Cracken to be amazingly talented yet woefully naive and idealistic. The man knew intel gathering as well as anyone she'd ever met, and his propaganda program would have made even the best of ONI Section II nod in approval. But his ability to conduct Shadow Ops were _very_ inadequate. Despite the fact that he knew which officials to bribe or blackmail, which organizations would crumble if he assasinated a certain figurehead, he failed to act on this critical information. When confronted on it he stated quite clearly he would not stoop to the level of Imperial intelligence.

Despite how bitter and hardened he claimed to be, Osman saw him for what he was: A gifted amateur who stubbornly clung to his noble ideals.

So be it. If he refused to use such unsavory tactics against the Empire, She would. She was already compiling a list of targets for her own team to exploit. She knew Kilo-5 would obey her oders to the letter.

Unfortunately that would have to wait, as Cracken had brought something to her attention. Imperial assests were dissapearing across the Empire. A Star Destroyer here a Battalion of Storm troopers there. Support ships going into space dock yet no record of where they went. To the casual observer nothing was amiss but to someone like Cracken who had his fingers to the pulse of the Empire it could only mean one thing.

An impending Imperial counter attack.

Osman agreed with his assesment. The man was nothing if not thorough, and to be honest Osman would be surprised if the Empire didn't launch some sort of attack soon. Their enemies were now in one spot and could be crushed in one mighty blow. Simply put, Kashyyyk was too tempting a target to resist.

Which unfortunatly left them with a perticular problem. The _Accuser_ herself. Since her capture the ship had done nothing but eat up resources and time. And with an Imperial counter-attack looming they needed every assest ready to fight. Multiple attempts by the Alliance to persuade the crew to their cause ended in failure and there was current debate going on between the higher levels of leadership as to what exactly to do with the ship and crew, but no one had decided on anything yet. But it would have to be decided soon.

That was when an idea struck her.

"BB, when is Captain Eclipse scheduled to get debriefed?" she asked into the air.

The avatar of Kilo-5's attached AI phased into existence a few feet in front of Osman, the side that was facing her slightly lighter than the others.

"I do believe it's going on right now, in one of the _Infinity_ conference rooms, Captain." the AI replied.

Osman nodded. Ever since the main Alliance fleet (minus a few small ships that were searching for a fallback base of operations) arrived in system, the _Infinity_ had become a sort of command-and-control center for both factions, and many of the meeting regarding both sides were hosted on the pride of the UNSC fleet. Which was understandable as _Infinity_ had such facilities onboard where as _Home One'_s resources were strectched to the breaking point cordinating Alliance fleet assets across the galaxy. This was particularly good for Osman's purposes, mainly due to the plethora of snooping opportunities.

"Any way you could get me a stream of that debriefing?" wondered Osman, fake innocence flooding her voice.

"Well I could, but we'd be breaking several agreements concerning confidentiality and whatnot, plus if Roland found out he would probably not approve... but then again when does he?" quipped BB.

Osman just raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Right Captain, off I go." BB materialized an image of a Holmes-era detectives hat on the top face of his box avatar, before disappearing from sight.

Within a few seconds, however, the footage from the conference room security camera popped up on the her datapad.

Osman saw Captain Eclipse standing stiff at attention, while a very angry-looking Commander Cracken paced back and forth in front of her. The audio feed synched in shortly after.

"Captian Eclipse, for the record I want you to know there are many who hold you in high regard for your service to the Alliance, even if you are a former Imperial. I am one of them, but your actions of late leave alot to be desired."

_Captain Eclipse was a former Imperial Officer?_ Osman raised an eyebrow as she processed that little fact.

"You have done good things for the Alliance. But the truth of the matter is that your judgement has been called into question."

"How so, sir?" Captain eclipsed responded.

"The loss of your Command over Kamino for one. The _Salvation_ was a vital asset to the fleet and yet the ship and most of the crew were lost shortly after you took command. Do you know how valuable a Nebulon-B frigate is!?"

Juno stiffened, "There was nothing I could do about that, Commander. We had been boarded by Imperial Special Forces. Most of my crew were young and inexperienced and on their first posting."

"Exactly Captain. You were trusted with the best and brightest of our newest recruits! It was your job to train them up to standard yet under your leadership most of them were killed!"

Juno bristled in indignation but said nothing.

Commander Cracken continued, "I am aware of the extrenuating circumstances that occured just before and during the battle of Kamino. Many in Alliance Operations agree that there was nothing you could have done. And since the battle was an Alliance victory no one wanted to go after a heroe who had made that victory possible. Even if it was a costly victory."

Juno remained silent

"As much as I would love to see you punished for the loss of your ship and crew, General Reikken managed to convince a board of inquirey that the situation was beyound your control."

"Then why are we even discussing this, Commander? I thought this was a debriefing about what transpired here on Kashyyyk?" Juno snapped.

"Not just Kashyyyk, Captain Eclipse," Cracken answered.

"Then what?"

Cracken sat back in his chair and to Osman regarded Captain Eclipse with a look of cool disdain. "Your judgement has come into question concerning your last two operations. And this time there is no Calist Reikken to protect you."

Captain eclipsed glared at the Alliance intelligence officer.

"First off you were the operational commander on the mission to transport the criminal Darth Vader to a secure Alliance facility. You even had General Kota and Starkiller for this mission, yet you somehow managed to botch even that! _Then _to make matters worse, you decided to persue Vader to Kashyyyk even though it had all the hallmarkings of a trap. Yet you blundered right into it!"

"I made a mistake...sir" Juno answered in a hollow voice.

"Obviously. Now I'm going to ask you again, Captain Eclpise... JUST WHAT IN THE NINE CORRELIAN HELLS WERE YOU THINKING!" Cracken bellowed.

Captian Eclipse visibly winced, before stammering, "I..I don't understand sir-"

Cracken stopped his pacing and stood right in front of Eclipse, mere inches away from her face.

"You don't understand? YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND?! What is there to be understood! You risked two of the most significant wartime assets in the Alliance's possession on the most ridiculous mission I've ever heard of!"

"I was trying to help sir." said Juno, a little force in her voice.

"Trying to help, you say. Help who? The Wookies? What good could you have done against an entire fierfeking Imperial garrison! Oh sure, your proposal to start a slave uprising hit all the right notes. And Starkiller has a knack for causing chaos where ever he goes. But there were serious flaws in your plan! And there were those of us, myself included, who _knew _it was doomed to failure. Yet you disregarded our concerns and went to Kashyyyk anyway! If it wasn't for our new-found, _projectile_ using allies, who knows what the Empire could have done with the information they would've extracted from you!"

Captain Eclipse was silent. Apparently she didn't have an answer for this one.

"That's what I thought," said Cracken. He reached out, and removed the Captains insignia from Eclipse's collar.

"Sir, what are you doing?" asked Juno, looking at Cracken's retreating hand.

"I'm sorry I have to do this, Juno. I'm stripping you of your rank. Until further notice you are on indefinite suspension from active service in the Alliance to Restore the Republic." said the Commander, steel in his voice. "Dismissed."

Juno looked stricken. "But sir!"

"Dismissed!" he repeated.

Finally, after a few seconds pause, Juno quickly walked out of the room, head held low.

The feed cut off, and BB appeared beside Osman again.

"Well that was... messy." commented the artificial intelligence.

Osman just nodded absentmindedly.

After a moment of silence, BB asked, "A penny for you thoughts?"

The acting head of ONI peered out the viewport towards the captured _Accuser_ then down to the pulled file of one Captain Juno Eclipse. It was certainly impressive reading with a number of successful missions and commendations under her belt and in so short a time too. The file painted a picture of a commander who threw herself into her mission, who was competent and daring and devoted to the cause.

Osman's opinion of the former Imperial was quite a bit different from her Alliance counterpart.

Osman had read the Alliance reports on Kashyyyk and the capture of Darth Vader at Kamino. And there were alot of unanswered questions in those reports that made her feel uneasy, in particular anything when this Force was involved. This magic and what it meant...it was still something she was trying to wrap her head around. But from what she gathered it didn't seem Captain Eclipse could truly be held responsible for what had happened. Captain Eclipse had percieved a weakness in her enemy and had ruthlessly exploited it to the best of her ability. Any commander in the UNSC worth his or her rank would have done the same. By all accounts they had kept the Empire occupied and distracted for months before finally secumbing to overwhelming force.

All without backup or support from the Alliance who either could not or would not support the mission. Had she gotten the support she'd been demanding it was very possible the outcome on Kashyyyk would have been very different. To Osman, it seemed the Alliance command was trying to find a scapegoat for the failed mission, and Juno Eclipse was it.

Some things never change, no matter what cause you fought for.

Osman closed the file and again glanced out the viewport toward the _Accuser _when an idea struck her, "BB, I think we might have just found a way to kill two birds with one stone."

* * *

**Millennium Falcon, En Route to Bespin**

Han Solo, Captain in the Rebel Alliance, expert pilot, renowned smuggler, and on occasion a scruffy-looking nerf-herder, was currently getting his shebs handed to him in a game of holographic Dejarik by his long time friend and co-pilot Chewbacca.

All hope seemed lost for Han, that was until he executed a perfectly planned maneuver (at least he thought so) that killed Chewie's Kintan Strider, one of the most powerful pieces in the game.

Han smirked as the piece went through its death motions before taunting, "Well well well, so the tides have turned. What ya gonna do now furball?"

Chewie just looked at Han and smiled, giving a humorous sounding growl as well. Much to the surprise of Han, in his next move Chewie suddenly had all of his remaining pieces surrounded, then brutally killed.

"What the hell was that!" loudly exclaimed Han, not believing what had just happened. Chewie went into a fit, banging his arms on the table in barking laughter.

C-3PO, who was observing the match, answered, "That, Captain Solo, was a meticulously executed Kintan Strider Death Gambit. He sacrificed his most powerful piece in order to mask his devastating counterattack, which I am sure you are now aware of."

"Yeah yeah yeah, no one asked you golden-rod. Why don't you go be useful somewhere else before I turn you into plating for my blaster." shot Han.

C-3PO quickly turned and hurried down the corridor, saying "Oh no sir, that will not be necessary, in fact, I had better make sure that R-2D2 is not getting into trouble..."

Han watched the droid go, before turning back to look at Chewie, who had his head cocked, teeth showing through his grin.

"Alright alright, here." said Han, waving his arms in the air before reaching into his vest and producing a fifty-credit chip.

He through it on the table, and Chewie picked it up, putting it into his a pouch on his bandolier.

Just then, Han heard some fast-approaching footsteps. Leia Organa rounded the corner holding a comlink, grinning ear to ear.

"Han! Chewie! You have to listen to this message right now!" she almost screamed. Her excitement was immeadiately apparent to the two.

Han held up his hands. "Whoa there princess, what does it say?"

Leia just pressed a button on the comlink, and the recording began to play.

"Please enter your decryption code now." said a mechanical voice.

Leia quickly did so, and the message continued.

"This is Admiral Gial Ackbar, to all major Alliance officers and members. I am proud to announce that with the help of new allies, we were able to liberate the system of Kashyyyk from the treacherous hands of the Galactic Empire, ending the brutal slaving of the native Wookie species, and establishing a new base of operations. To any soldiers in hiding or fleeing from the Empire, we rally at Kashyyyk. More updates will be soon to follow."

Han couldn't believe it. He broke out into a full-fledged grin, and said to Leia, "Can you believe it! As soon as we get our hyperdrive fixed at Bespin we have to go there! Do you think that's where Luke might be?"

He turned towards Chewie, and was thoroughly surprised to see a sight he thought he would never see. Chewie was crying. So much so that the fur on his cheeks and around his eyes were moist with his tears. The big Wookie let out a howl of what sounded like anguish but what Han instinctively knew was a cry of pure undulated joy! What had been happening at Kashyyyk represented everything wrong about the Empire to the Alliance, and it had become a rallying cry for them.

For too long the Wookies had been enslaved by the terrible power of the Empire to be used as a skilled labor force throughout the empire. Their treatment had been abysmal as was the plundering of their world. A minor uprising nearly two years ago had been ruthelessly put down. A follow up mission by a team of Alliance specialists had also ended in failure. Sad as it was to admit Kashyyyk was firmly in the hands of the Empire.

It had been a bitter pill for them to swallow.

Except now somehow the Alliance seemed to have pulled off the impossible. These new allies must have powerful indeed to take a fortress world like Kashyyyk.

Chewie wept with unguarded joy and Han had a slight grin on his face; content to let his friend bask in this joyous moment. Leia had tears in her eyes at this joyous news. Then the big Wookie lept to his feet and grabbed both Han and Leia by the waist, lifted them up, and started spinning around the room, roaring as loud as he could. The two humans soon joined in, yelling out their own laughter and cries of joy.

Chewie's roars of happiness that moment shook the entire ship.

* * *

**Hangar Bay C12, UNSC Infinity, Kashyyyk Space**

Spartan Thorne stood on the deck of the hangar bay with the rest of Majestic team, dressed in the black bodysuit of the MJOLNIR Gen-2 armor.

"What do you think this guy's gonna look like?"

Thorne turned his head toward the sound of the voice, which happened to be Madsen talking to Hoya.

"How the hell should I know?" answered Hoya. "Someone told me that there were millions of species in this galaxy. He, she, or it, could be anyone of those."

Madsen put his hand to his chin, then said, "I'll bet you twenty credits that it's got more than two arms."

Hoya thought for a moment then grinned, "Deal."

The two Spartans shook hands, and Madsen turned towards Thorne. "What about you Thorne? Any predictions? Surely due to your special access to the great beyond, you probably already have its phone number!"

Madsen started snickering at his own joke, and Thorne growled, "Shut the hell up, Madsen." He then punched Madsen in the arm, ending his childish behavior.

"Oi, lay off him will ya!" Tedra piped up in her thick Irsh accent. She frowned for a moment as she considered something.

"It does make you wonder though," Tedra voiced her thoughts "Millions of Aliens, all livin in one vast Republic before the Empire came to power. Lot of peple back home gonna be unnerved about that."

Demarco nodded thoughtfully, "Probably. I'm not too comfortable with it myself. It all sounds too good to be true. Humans and Aliens living in peace."

"Ya don't think its possible? We're at peace with the remnant of the Covenant now."

"Except for M'Dama and the Storm. Either way the Universe just got alot bigger than our small corner of the Galaxy. I'm still not happy they pulled Thorne from the active roster for this training. Now we're down a member."

Thorne turned to protest but Demarco waved him off.

"Not your fault bro, I know. Admiral Lasky's orders. Still, I'm not happy about it."

Thorne looked around the hanger at the other beings present. Admiral Lasky, Captain Osman, Commander Palmer, and a holographic representation of Black Box were conversing in hushed tones some distance away.

Also there was the entirety of Rogue Squadron, decked out in their orange flight suits. Even from here, Thorne could see that the person named Luke Skywalker was giddy with anticipation.

A few meters away from the Rogues stood General Rahm Kota, Captain Juno Eclipse, and Starkiller. The young Jedi's face looked as unreadable as ever, but Thorne couldn't help but notice that he and Captain Eclipse were holding hands or the way she would cast small smiles his way when she thought no one was looking. The two were clearly an item.

Also present were a few of the Alliance heads, mainly Admiral Ackbar, General Rieekan, Commander Cracken, and the head of the Rebellion herself, Mon Mothma.

At the far end of the bay, farthest away from anyone else, stood the leaders of the Sangheili Separatists, Thel Vadam' and R'tas Vadum', silent, and foreboding. More than once Thorne caught one of the hangar crew members casting a glare full of hatred and contempt towards the two elites.

Lastly, but probably the most important concerning the context of the circumstances, were three other UNSC members. However, these were no ordinary people. Much to the surprise of everybody, Admiral Lasky's fleet-wide 'midichlorian' test had pinged these people as positive, so, here they were.

One was an ODST from the Frigate _Vicksburg_, Staff Sergeant McKinney, Relatively young for a staff seargeant, standing tall and proud in his signature all-black fatigues. Next to him was a bored-looking female, Petty Officer Brooks, from the Destroyer _Lucky Gambit_. Judging by her fatigue patches she worked in the electronic warfare division of the fleet. Finally, there was a Private Sprintz, a supply clerk attached to one of the marine complements aboard _Infinity_. It looked to Thorne that the nervous-looking Private had just celebrated his eighteenth birthday. The draft could be pretty unforgiving sometimes.

Thorne saw Roland appear next to Lasky, and the two talked for a second. Lasky then signaled for the conversation to stop, and turned towards the hangar door. Thorne took this as a sign that something was soon to happen, and sure enough, the heavy blast shields covering the bay started to recede, leaving only the selective plasma barrier in its place.

The other occupants of the hangar took notice as well, and all eyes turned towards the barrier.

They weren't kept waiting for long, because very soon a small vessel, which closely resembled one of Rogue Squadron's X-wings, minus one pair of wings, glided into the hangar and set down on landing struts.

"Jesus Christ, that things a piece of crap." commented Madsen.

Thorne had to agree with him on this one. The ship looked like it had been to hell and back, or at least horribly maintained. The cockpit glass was cracked, and the paint was almost completely gone, with the occasional spot of rust dotting the hull. There were some places were there was no hull plating at all, showing the exposed inner mechanisms and circuitry. Add to the fact that the whole ship seemed to be tainted dirty green, and Thorne swore he saw some vines clogging one of the engines.

A hangar crew member rolled a ladder beside the cockpit, and right as she did so, the wing on the other side promptly fell off the ship and onto the deck with a heavy thud.

Thorne could see that the noise caused everyone who was not looking at it to jump in surprise, and the crew member that had rolled the ladder was so startled she almost fell to the floor. Face red in embarrassment, she quickly escorted herself away from the ship.

With a mechanical whir, the cracked cockpit slowly started to open upward. When the cockpit reached the zenith of its travels, a small figure got out, and started to slowly descend from the ladder.

"Aww fuck..." muttered Madsen, as he handed a twenty-credit chip to a smirking Hoya.

Thorne looked over the creature as it slowly proceeded down the ladder. It was small, if Thorne had to guess he'd say that it was about seventy centimeters tall. It was portioned the same as a regular human, two arms, two legs, a head, except that its skin was tinted green, and it had long, pointed ears.

Once it reached the bottom of the ladder, he produced a small wooden cane, which began to use for support. He was wearing rough-looking tan and brown robes, and his three-toed feet were bare. Thorn would bet that this creature was old, based on the gray-white hairs on its head, and a few coming out of his ear.

The most significant thing that he noticed however, was that the creatures small eyes looked like they contained a large amount of wisdom and knowledge.

Admiral Lasky began to walk towards the creature, saying, "Master Yoda, we sincerely apologize for firing on your ship, and I welcome you aboard the _Infinity._

"A simple miscommunication, it was. My comlink, functional, it was not. No disrespect Admiral, but very important, my goal here is," said the creature.

Lasky nodded and gestured towards the UNSC Force users, to which the small alien starting quickly walking towards.

The Jedi Master stopped about two meters away from Thorne and gazed up at him, examining him. Despite his years of military training, Thorne wasn't exactly sure how to address this being, so he stood stiffly at attention, just to be safe. Aside from the ambient gentle humming that the _Infinity_ gave off, the hangar bay was deathly silent.

After another few seconds of observation, the creature suddenly broke the silence, saying, "Hmmm... the Force, within you, strong it is. But this Force... different it is. Untouched. Untamed. Wild. Strange, almost. Unknown, yet at the same time, familiar. Tell me soldier, your name, what is it?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Thorne saw Lasky nod his head, so he went ahead and gave it. "Spartan Gabriel Thorne of Fireteam Majestic, Sir." He added that last part as an afterthought. It couldn't hurt to be safe, he thought.

Thorne saw that the alien was slightly amused by his address, first by the sight of its raised eyebrows, then its sudden, quick laugh.

"Sir? Sir? No, young Thorne, more wrong, you could not be. A long time, since I have been called sir, it has been..." said Yoda, his voice becoming more quiet during his last sentence. As if he could still sense Thorne's confusion, he added with a small half-smile, "Worry, you should not however, a female, I am not."

General Kota, Starkiller, and Luke approached from the side, and Yoda turned to acknowledge them.

"Master Yoda," said Kota, head bowed, "It warms my heart to see you alive."

The little green alien replied, "Indeed, it does mine as well old friend. Survived, I did not know you had."

The two seemed to share in a moment of remembrance of events past, before Yoda looked up to Luke Skywalker.

"Ahh... Skywalker...the blood of your father, sense I can." he said, tapping the deck with his cane. "Much to learn, you have, but great potential, there is to be discovered."

Luke beamed at these words even as Kota appeared unconfortable with them, before Yoda stepped in front of Starkiller. He looked him over for a few seconds, before saying, "Hmmm... yes... speak with you later, I will."

Master Yoda then turned away from them and started walking towards the door that would lead him into the rest of the _Infinity_.

When he saw that after a couple of seconds no one was following him, he looked back ad said very seriously, "Come, come. Much to teach, there is, and little time there is to do it."


	12. Chapter 12: Preparation

**Authors Note: Alright, so I felt kind of bad for taking two and a half weeks to get the last chapter out, so I wanted to kind of even it out with this ones quicker release.**

**Super special thank,s as always, to my betas JonHarper and Sharnorasian Empire**

**Please feel free to review! I love getting questions and feedback from you people!**

**So without further adieu, here is Chapter 12**

**Enjoy**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but all original content is mine**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Preparation**

**Admiral Lasky's Private Quarters, UNSC Infinity, Kashyyyk Space**

Captain Serin Osman stepped forward to withing two paces of Lasky's desk, snapped to rigid attention, and put her hand to the tip of her cover with practiced precision.

"Admiral Lasky, sir!"

The Admiral stood up from his chair, returned the salute, and sat back down, saying, "At ease Captain, please, take a seat."

"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice Admiral." said Osman, noting that Lasky looked as calm and composed as ever.

Lasky dipped his head, "Of course Captain. Now, what do you have for me?"

Osman withdrew her datapad, tapped the screen a few times, then passed it across the desk to Lasky.

He picked it up and looked it over, before giving Osman a quizzical look.

"The _Accuser_?" he asked.

"The very one." replied Osman.

"You mean the ship that has done nothing but sit in the middle of our fleet immobile, eating up time and resources?" he said, the slight annoyance at the situation showing in his voice.

"Yes sir. I'm here because I believe I have a way to solve that problem." she said.

Lasky raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair. "I'm interested."

"If I may, Admiral." said Osman, gesturing towards the datapad.

Lasky nodded, and Osman picked up the object. After a few presses she brought up the recording of Commander Cracken debriefing the then Captain Eclipse.

Lasky watched, brows furrowed, and at the end of the video looked up at Osman.

"You know Captain, our Alliance friends wouldn't be very happy if they found out you were spying on their meetings."

Osman just shrugged. "I'm ONI Admiral, it's what we do. Besides, maybe they should have their meetings on their own ships, as opposed to the Infinity, which happens to be abound with accessible security cameras..."

Lasky looked like he could have rolled his eyes, and he said, "Why are you showing me this Serin?"

"Well Admiral, as you can see by looking at her file, Juno Eclipse is a very competent commander, if not more so. She has several successful missions and commendations under her belt, all within a remarkably short period of time. She is a smart, capable, daring, and loyal soldier, who would fight with all her heart against the Empire. I've done the research, and what she planned to do at Kashyyyk was what any UNSC officer worth their rank would do. She saw an opportunity to exploit her enemy's weakness, and she took it. The fact that the Alliance, who by the way didn't provide any support at all, could just throw her away like an unwanted toy when the mission failed is appalling to me. To let all that talent go to waste, it just doesn't make sense."

Lasky nodded. "I agree Captain. So, what are you suggesting?"

Osman leaned forward. "What I'm suggesting Admiral, is that we make Juno Eclipse the new captain of the Accuser."

Lasky put a hand to his face, rubbing the day-old stubble, eyes not looking anywhere in particular. He was silent for a moment, before looking at his watch.

He stood up, and motioned at Osman. "Walk with me. I have a meeting with Admiral Ackbar and General Rieekan, and I want you to attend."

The pair walked out the room and started making their way through the corridors and hallways of the Infinity.

They stepped inside one of the hovertrams running the length of the large ship, and with a jolt, it started moving.

"Serin, I've known you for too long to know that you wouldn't have solved one of my problems unless you wanted something in return, so you might as well say it." Lasky suddenly said.

_Well,_ Osman thought, _he saw right through that one. _

"I want Starkiller." she stated.

The tram stopped, and the two got out, continuing their walk.

"Starkiller? Last time I checked he wasn't mine to give." replied Lasky.

"He will be Admiral. You may or may not have noticed, but Starkiller and Juno Eclipse are madly in love. Wherever she goes, he will follow, no matter what others think or say. I want Starkiller as part of Kilo-5."

Lasky was silent, pondering Osman's request. They reached the door that would lead into the meeting room, and Lasky pulled Osman aside, leaning in close.

"Listen carefully Serin. I am approving your request, _for now._ Approach Eclipse, and offer her the position. If what you say about Starkiller is true, you can place him on Kilo-5 with the rest of your team. Let it be known though, that I am not a fan of doing so, but if this is the only way to get some productivity out of the Accuser, than I assume it is my only choice. Come to think of it, Captain Eclipse would be an ideal choice for this. She's a former Imperial herself. She knows exactly what that crew is going through. To have a commander that can empathize with them can only help us.

Osman smiled, "My thoughts exactly sir."

Lasky continued on as if he hadn't heard her, "I want you to remember though, ONI is a _branch_ of the UNSC, _not_ a separate entity. You answer to me Captain, no secret shadow-ops without my sanction. Is that understood?"

Osman instantly replied. "Yes sir, of course."

Lasky stepped away, letting out a heavy sigh. "Come on, we have a planetary defense to plan."

* * *

**UNSC Infinity Hangar Bay, Kashyyyk Space**

Thel 'Vadam's hoofed feet hit the deck of the hangar with a solid thud, as he reached the bottom of the Phantom's gravity lift.

He turned to his second-in-command, shipmaster of the Assault Carrier Shadow of Intent, and long-time friend, R'tas 'Vadum, before saying "I am thankful that this meeting will be something normal. I would much rather help plan the defense of a planet than be lectured on mysticism."

R'tas, clad in the sleek silver of his spec-ops commander armor, opened his mandibles in a sign of humor. "On that we are of equal view. What do you make of this so-called _Force_?" he said, carefully enunciating the new word.

Thel sighed, before he responded, "Honestly brother, I do not know what to think."

And it was true. Ever since the two had been briefed on the existence of the Force, it had been extremely hard, for Thel at least, to get his mind around the concept. That there was some all-binding, invisible energy that gave strength and power only to those who could wield it was strange. The fact that it seemed none of his race possessed it, but the humans did, was a little... concerning.

"What I am most concerned with however, is the matter of how to fight this Force. Our way of the warrior has always been one of honor, courage, and prowess. However, if the video the Admiral showed us suggests anything, what is to stop those with the Force to simply swipe away those without it? What could our warriors do against such a power? How could they succeed?" said Thel, in a low, rumbling tone.

R'tas took a moment to reply, before laying a hand on Thel's shoulder, saying "I do not know the answers to the questions you ask, but I do know this. The Sangheili are a strong people, and we will not bow down so easily to those possessing this Force. We found a way to defeat the Parasite, how much worse could this be?"

Thel nodded. "Wise words, my friend. And you are right, the Sangheili will be strong, as we have always been, no matter the circumstances."

The pair saw a female Spartan in white and red armor walking towards them, helmet clipped to her belt, short brown hair tied back in a ponytail.

"Arbiter, Shipmaster 'Vadum, I'm glad to see you made it." she said, bowing her head in respect.

The two Sangheili returned the gesture, before Thel replied, "Commander Palmer, we are honored to be here."

"Always with the honor..." muttered Palmer, Thel's ears just barely picking it up. Most forgot that Sangheili have better hearing than one would expect, which resulted in the two Elites catching a lot of threats, curses, and other angry phrases directed towards them that they would not hear otherwise. _Old feelings die hard,_ thought the Arbiter.

"Come on, the meeting room's this way." said Palmer, as she turned and walked towards a lift.

The three traveled through the Infinity for several minutes, the Arbiter's sharp eyes picking out the obvious signs of wariness from the human crew. A hate-filled glare here, a hand moved to the butt of a sidearm there. Thel was glad that Commander Palmer was with them, she seemed to have a calming enough effect on the crew.

They had just rounded the corner of a corridor when Thel's hearing picked up a strange sound. Cheering.

Palmer apparently heard it as well, and wondered aloud, "What the hell?"

They reached a large door with the words 'Boxing Ring' inscribed over it, and Palmer pressed a button, opening the door. It was there where they discovered the source of the noise.

It was a large room, the center dominated by a raised square-shaped platform, bordered by elastic ropes. Why it was called a ring, when it was obviously a square, puzzled Thel.

It was dark in the room, yet a single spotlight shone directly on the ring. Marines, Navy personnel, and even a few Spartans crowded around the platform, making bets, handing over credits, and shouting words of encouragement or spite at the middle of the room.

Despite being at the very back of the crowd, the height advantage he had allowed him to see almost level to the ring, and it wasn't until Thel's eyes adjusted to the dark when he discovered what all the ruckus was about.

Standing in one corner of the ring was none other than the man from the prison break footage, Starkiller, his name was, looking comfortable and relaxed, dressed in a simple tunic. Opposite him was a tall Spartan with a shaved head in his blue bodysuit, getting his shoulders rubbed by another Spartan, this one with dark skin and large lips.

The dark-skinned Spartan said something into the ear slapped the other Spartan on the back before pushing him into the middle of the ring. Starkiller walked forward slowly to the middle as well, and Thel could hear the din around him grow louder in anticipation.

The Sangheili looked down at Palmer to see her smirking

"This should be good. DeMarco is an excellent soldier, but sometimes he can get a little cocky. Let's see if Force-boy over here can teach him a lesson in humbleness, because it's about time somebody did," said Palmer.

Thel glanced over to R'tas, who just shrugged his shoulders, before returning his attention back to the platform.

A large man dressed in a black and white striped uniform (an official of some sort, Thel assumed) stepped forward into the middle of the ring with DeMarco and Starkiller before yelling, "Alright you two! Official MMA rules! No eye gouging, no groin kicks, I want a clean fight! Is that understood?"

The two participants shook their heads yes, and the official quickly got out of the way. There was a loud DING, and the fight began.

DeMarco took a typical combat stance, feet spread, knees bent, hands raised and started to slightly bounce on his toes.

Starkiller however, did no such thing, standing straight up, arms at his side. Thel couldn't tell from this angle, but it appeared as if the Jedi had his eyes closed as well.

His suspicions were confirmed when he heard someone yell, "What are you waiting for DeMarco! His eyes aren't even open!"

As if on cue, DeMarco lashed out with a powerful kick aimed at Starkiller's knee.

What happened next shocked everyone in the room, including Thel. The movements were so fast that he almost missed it, Starkiller deftly hopped over the kick, and while in the air delivered a kick to the head before he landed. He followed up with an open hand strike to the chest, followed by thrusting kick to the stomach that doubled over DeMarco and finished with a solid uppercut to DeMarco's chin.

Starkiller bounced on the balls of his feet, as if the energy inside his athletic frame were not enough to contain him. He moved light like a feather around DeMarco who stumbled and then stooped over, then he wobbled around for a second, before finally collapsing face first onto the mat, out cold.

There was a large outcry from the crowd, and the striped official kneeled down next to the prone Spartan, slapping at the mat. After five slaps, he got up, and in a very theatrical manner pointed off of the platform. The dark-skinned Spartan rushed out to his friend, rolled him over, and poured some water on his face. DeMarco came to, sputtering, and with the help of his friend, limped out of the arena.

Almost immediately after the two Spartans left, another challenger stepped into the ring, much to the praise and cheer of the crowd.

After a few seconds of examination, Thel's eyes widened when he realized who this new contender actually was, one of the original demons, the same kind as the Master Chief. The woman had shoulder-length brunette hair in a ponytail much like Palmer's, a muscular, yet graceful build, and blue-gray eyes showing the inner confidence of a seasoned veteran. There was an image of a rabbit on the left side of her black bodysuit, and Thel could instinctively tell that there was an enormous amount of power coiled up within her, waiting to be unleashed.

"Jesus, that's Kelly, one of the original Spartan-II's. Rumor has it she's the fastest human to ever live..." Thel heard Palmer say, admiration and respect showing in her voice.

The crowd started to chant, "UNSC! UNSC! UNSC!" and Kelly walked towards the middle of the ring.

Kelly pointed to the official, and then pointed out of the ring. He got the message, and quickly exited the arena, a low "Oooohhh" echoing throughout the crowd.

Without any hesitation, Kelly threw a left-handed chop at Starkiller's head, to which he quickly jumped back to avoid. Kelly pressed the offensive, chasing after Starkiller with a quick pair of kicks. The Jedi spun out of the way of both, before sweeping at Kelly's head in a horizontal strike.

The Spartan easily ducked, planted her back foot, and launched a powerful punch at her opponent's midsection. Starkiller barely got his hands down in time to block it, and was actually forced back on his feet, sliding a foot or so backwards.

Though so subtle Thel barely caught it, it was at that instant when Starkiller's demeanor changed. His eyes narrowed, his lips pursed, his forehead crinkled, and he took a more aggressive stance. He let loose a series of quick, powerful strikes at Kelly, which she blocked with her forearms. Kelly counterattacked, and soon even Thel had trouble following the fight. The next thirty seconds was just a blur of jabs, kicks, punches, blocks, ducks, and sidesteps, with neither participant seeming to gain an advantage.

Suddenly, Kelly grabbed both of Starkiller's hands in a perfect arm lock with one arm, and with her free hand propelled a strike that would have impacted with the bridge of Starkiller's nose.

That was, until, the punch stopped in mid-air, about an inch away from impacting.

The crowd went deathly silent, jaws agape, and both combatants were still for a moment, looking into each others eyes, Kelly's fist stopped mid-strike.

After a couple of seconds, Kelly stepped back, slowly lowered her fist and nodded at Starkiller. She extended a hand, which Starkiller shook, then casually walked off of the ring, as if nothing had even happened. She headed for the door that Thel, R'tas, and Palmer were standing near, the crowd parting for her like the Red Sea. Kelly didn't see Palmer until she was almost out the door, and she instinctively snapped to attention, yelling "Commander on Deck!"

The whole room snapped to, and Palmer said, "As you were."

Kelly shared a look with Palmer, and then continued out the door. The mood obviously destroyed, most of the crowd slowly and quietly filtered out of the various doors to the ring. Soon it was just the two Sangheili, Palmer, and Starkiller, who was putting on a utility belt, left in the room.

Thel glanced a gleaming silver cylinder hanging from Starkiller's belt that looked remarkably like a sword hilt. The Arbiters curiosity was instantly peaked. In Sangheili culture, being able to wield a sword was an immense privilege given only to the most skillful and honorable warriors. Thel wondered if it was the same for Starkiller. If so, he must be a fairly competent swordsman, he thought.

"Human!" Thel called out, his deep, booming voice filling the room.

Starkiller's head snapped around to the source of the call, finally seeing Thel.

"Yes?" he replied.

Thel walked forward, pointing towards the hilt on Starkiller's belt.

"What is that you have on your belt? That silver hilt?" asked the Arbiter.

Starkiller snapped the item off of his belt, looked at it, then said, "This, is a lightsaber. An elegant weapon, for a more civilized age..."

Then with a loud snap-hiss, Starkiller activated it, and the brilliant sapphire blue blade hummed to life.

Thel was mesmerized. "Amazing... what is the blade made of?"

"Pure plasma, suspended in a force containment field." said Starkiller. He spotted Thel's energy sword hilt on his hip, asking, "You have a sword as well?"

Thel removed the hilt from his hip and grasped it in his large hand, looking at it in reminiscence. This particular blade has been with him since he had first been deemed worthy to wield one, and it had saved his life countless times. "Yes. We call them energy swords, a noble and ancient weapon, wielded by the strongest of Sangheili. It requires great skill and bravery to use, and inspires fear in those who face its elegant plasma blade."

Starkiller nodded in understanding. "A lightsaber is much the same. One has to be well versed in the ways of the Force in order to first make, and then properly utilize one. May I see your blade?"

"I would, except for this condition. In my culture, it is of grave consequence to draw one's blade without reason." said Thel. "So, Starkiller, where others may have failed, I would like to try. I challenge you to a duel."

Starkiller was silent, then slowly nodded. "I accept."

Palmer piped up, "Arbiter, we don't have time for this, aren't you forgetting about a meeting you have to attend?"

Without turning around, Thel raised a hand, saying, "R'tas is more than capable of relaying any pertinent information along to me afterwards."

"He is right Commander, I will go in his place." said R'tas, gesturing towards Thel and Starkiller. "This, this is something that the Arbiter must do."

Palmer looked reluctant, but finally gave in, and her and R'tas left the room.

The door closed with a clang, leaving Thel and Starkiller alone in the room.

Thel depressed the activation mechanism for his sword, and the dual tines of plasma leapt out of the generation device into the magnetic containment fields.

Starkiller examined the blade from afar, before commenting, "That is a magnificently crafted blade."

The two slowly walked towards each other, the bright blue of their respective blades punctuating the quiet darkness of the arena.

"Let us not forget that we are allies in this fight against the Empire, but do not let that slow your blade, for I am fairly capable myself." said Thel.

Starkiller extended his lightsaber out in the space between the two, and gestured with his head towards it.

Thel got the hint, and raised his sword as well, crossing blades with Starkiller.

When the two weapons touched, a hail of sparks erupted from the contact point, and Thel felt some resistance through his blade from Starkiller's own saber. _Interesting,_ he thought.

Thel quickly retracted his sword, and then lunged forwards in a stab at Starkiller's midsection.

The Jedi hopped back, bringing his saber down in a vertical sweep, catching Thel's blade and forcing it to the side.

The Sangheili took advantage of his redirected momentum, spinning his body around in a circle and turning his strike into a horizontal slash.

Starkiller then surprised Thel when he leapt over the Sangheili, causing his slash to miss entirely, and landed behind him.

The Arbiter rolled to the side, hearing the hum of the humans saber in the space where he just was, and came up with his sword raised.

The Jedi was on him as quick as lightning though, and after a couple of feints, swung down at Thel's head in a mighty two handed attack.

The Elite brought his sword up to counter the blow, and the two blades met in a series of crackles and sparks.

'Vadam could feel the vibrations from the impact reverberate through his arms, and the two stood there, each trying to unsuccessfully overpower the other

Starkiller took a deep breath through his nostrils, brow furrowing in concentration, and Thel began to notice that the human was beginning to force his blade down, albeit slowly.

This proved to Thel two things. One: despite the fact that he could only use one hand for his energy sword, Starkiller was still barely able to overpower his single arm with both of his. This meant, that theoretically, he was stronger than the Jedi, even with his Force powers. Two: Thel needed some way to exploit this advantage, and he knew just how to do it.

Reaching down to his hip with his free hand, Thel grasped his backup sword hilt, and activated it with a loud hiss. 'Vadam immediately used his second blade to reinforce his first, and now able to utilize the combined strength of both his arms, forced Starkiller to disengage with a mighty push.

The Jedi jumped back outside of striking distance, and Thel could see a full-blown grin on his opponents face.

Without even looking, Starkiller extended an arm to some unseen corner of the room, and Thel was amazed to find a second saber hilt fly into his open palm. The human activated the blade, this one blue as well, and then switched his grip so that the two sabers were facing backwards.

Thel pressed his mandibles together in a smile as well, and the two charged at each other.

What happened in the following minutes could only be described as art. The vibrant sapphire light of the pair's weapons cut brilliant patterns through the dimness of the room.

Strike and counterstrike, feint and lunge, swipe and jump, stab and roll.

Thel and Starkiller wove a pattern so intricate it couldn't have been choreographed better, two beings at the top of their form.

The Jedi found that even with the help of the Force, he was not physically stronger than the Sangheili, but he was more nimble. He changed his strategy to accommodate for this, launching numerous amounts of fast, quick strikes designed to keep Thel off balance.

The Arbiter, no novice himself, noticed Starkiller doing this, and calmly gave ground, parrying and dodging his strikes. However, when Thel's trained eyes noticed a mistake, an overextended arm, a foot too far back, he would launch into a perfectly timed counterattack of elegant and powerful blows that Starkiller had to quickly block.

The human switched one of his blades around to a normal grip, and brought it down in another vertical slash.

Thel was ready for it this time though, and instead of simple deflecting the saber, he caught it in between the tines of his energy sword. With a powerful twist of his wrist, Thel caused Starkiller's saber to go flying, deactivating itself in the air and clanging to the deck.

The Sangheili pressed the initiative, increasing both the speed and power of his attacks. Starkiller was forced back rapidly, frantically trying to manage both of Thel's swords with his single saber.

In a brilliant display of swordsmanship and accuracy, Starkiller sidestepped one of the Elite's downward slashes, and then thrust his saber not at Thel, but at the space between the tines of his backup blade. With a quick step and a simple arm movement, Thel was disarmed in the exact same way he had done before. _Clever_, thought the Arbiter.

'Vadam knew he needed to end this fight now before Starkiller began overpowering him with double-handed blows, so he decreased the distance between the two to barely a sword-length.

There was no room for error now, as both combatants looked for chinks in the others technique.

Thel happened to find one first, as after ducking a hasty horizontal sweep from Starkiller, kicked out at the Jedi's legs, causing him to come crashing to the ground.

Thel pounced on the downed human, and with a hyper-fast hit with his free hand, sent Starkiller's remaining lightsaber rocketing out of his grip.

'Vadam raised his remaining sword up high, and brought it down with as much power he could muster for the finishing strike... only to have his hand stopped in mid-air, much like what had happened to Kelly earlier.

Thel grunted, and found that either through his above-average strength, Starkiller's fatigue, or other reasons, that he was able keep bringing his blade down despite the invisible force, although only with much exertion.

So sudden, and so unexpected that Thel was caught completely off-guard, his sword was ripped from his hand like one would slap a dangerous object out of the hands of a hatchling.

Starkiller reached out a hand, and before he had time to blink he could feel the heat of the Jedi's saber inches away from his neck.

The human smiled, before saying, "Looks like I won."

Thel gave a low chuckle, "Indeed?" he said, gesturing towards Starkiller's chest, where the tip of his wrist-mounted energy cutlass was hovering just above his heart.

Starkiller lifted his head, and upon seeing it, gave a loud sigh let his head hit the deck again.

'Vadam got up off of the human, deactivating his cutlass, while Starkiller did the same with his saber.

Thel offered a three-fingered hand to the Jedi, which he took to help get up.

"You are an excellent swordsman. I would gladly fight alongside you any day." said Thel, bowing his head and laying his arm across his chest in respect.

Starkiller returned the gesture, saying "As are you, and it would be my honor."

The Arbiter walked over to retrieve his sword hilts, before he heard Starkiller ask, "It shames me that I do not know the name of so talented a warrior."

Thel turned, drawing himself up to his full height, for a name was of great importance to a Sangheili.

"I am Thel 'Vadam of the 'Vadam keep, Arbiter and servant to the Sangheili people. Most call me Arbiter, as it represents my official status, but you may call me Thel. You have earned the right to."

"I am known just as Starkiller, Jedi Knight. May I tell you something Thel?" the human replied.

'Vadam nodded his head.

"It felt...different, fighting you. In most beings I can feel the Force flowing within them, shaping and influencing them, but for you, that is not so. It is present within you, I can feel it, but it is such a small amount. When I used the Force to take your sword out of your hand, it took almost all of my strength to do it, much more than it should have taken."

"Are you suggesting that I have a sort of, resistance, to your Force?" asked Thel, puzzled.

"No, not just you." answered Starkiller. "I felt the same feeling within your friend as well. If it is alright with you, I would like to try something."

"Go ahead." said Thel.

Starkiller extended a hand at 'Vadam, and said, "What do you feel?"

To Thel, it felt as if he had been put into a Sangheili drop-pod, and the form-fitting gel was closing in around him. "A slight pressure, but not uncomfortable." the Elite replied.

"Amazing..." remarked Starkiller. "A normal being would be several meters in the air right now."

Inwardly, Thel was elated. Not that long ago he and R'tas had been troubled on how the Sangheili could fight an ethereal power such as the Force, but now it seemed their answer had come in the form of natural resistance. It seemed his ancestors were smiling upon him today.

Thel glanced towards the door. R'tas and Palmer had not come back yet, which meant that the meeting was still underway, which meant that he still had time to kill.

The Sangheili grasped the sword hilts in the palms of his hands and looked towards Starkiller, who had done the same with his lightsabers.

"Again?"

* * *

**UNSC Infinity Conference Room, Kashyyyk Space**

Lasky looked around the room at the large table, the names and positions of people popping into his head.

On the UNSC side there was him, General Mason, Colonel Tarkov, and Captain Osman. They were still waiting on Commander Palmer, Shipmaster 'Vadum, and the Arbiter to arrive. The holographic representations of both Roland and BB were on the table as well.

On the Alliance side, there was Mon Mothma, Admiral Ackbar, General Rieekan, General Rahm Kota and Commander Cracken.

However, there was one new member at the table, probably the most important as well in this situation.

Standing more than two meters tall, covered in dark brown fur, was the Wookie Chieftain Tarfful, the leader of the Wookies on Kashyyyk.

The door hissed open, and Palmer walked in, with R'tas following behind.

They took their seats, and Lasky asked, "Where is the Arbiter?"

"He got caught up. I will relay any information to him." said R'tas.

Lasky just nodded his head. "Alright, let's get started, shall we?"

"Now I've called all of you here today to talk about the defense of the planet Kashyyyk, not if, but when it is attacked by hostile forces." said Lasky. "Admiral Ackbar and I have already laid the foundation for the space defense, what which leaves only the planet side portion."

"Here is what I'm suggesting." Lasky continued, "Since the large majority of our ship-based Marine will not be needed during a space engagement, we should have them deploy and set up defenses on key strategic areas on the surface."

Lasky looked at Tarfful. "Chief Tafful, since this is your planet and you most likely have the best knowledge, where do you think these troop concentrations should be centered?"

Lasky, as well as everyone else present, was wearing an earpiece that acted as an instantaneous translator (kudos to Roland), so when Tarfful responded it was as if he was talking in English, albeit a bit synthesized.

"With all due respect Admiral, I would rather have none of your troops on our planet at all." said the large Wookie.

Lasky could see he was not the only one surprised by Tarfful's statement. Looking to the Alliance personnel Lasky could see that none seemed surprised by the Chief Wookies admission.

"Why is that?" asked the UNSC Admiral.

"For years the Empire has enslaved our species, killed hundreds of thousands, and we were able to do absolutely nothing about it. If it were not for your forces Admiral, we would still be in that situation. And while I am deeply thankful for your intervention, I cannot stand by idly while another faction takes control of Kashyyyk's affairs like it was their own, while casting us Wookies aside! We want control over what happens to our planet, and I think it is high time we deserve it."

General Mason piped up, saying, "But Chief Tarfful, you must understand that if we do not have a strong presence on the ground, it will be that much easier for the Imperials to defeat us. Because then they will take strategically vital positions, and we will have to take them back, as opposed to us having already fortified them."

"That is exactly the problem General. You may not remember, but it is fresh in our minds, the last group to have a strong ground presence on Kashyyyk was the Republic, which in the span of a fortnight became the Empire, and I will not allow that to happen again," said Tarfful.

Mason bristled in indignation. The Wookie cheif had basically accused the UNSC of being the Empire. Mason clearly didn't like the accusation and was starting to liven up now. "But how will you defend Kashyyyk without our help? You just don't have the numbers to do so! Like you said yourself, most of your people were just released from prison, and I assume that they were not kept in the best of condition. What soldiers you have left are suffering from ailments like malnutrition and dehydration, they would be in no position to participate in a large-scale conflict in the first place!"

Tarfful let out a low growl. "It is not wise to insult the strength of a Wookie, _General._"

Seeing that a conflict could very quickly erupt, General Kota stood up from his chair and yelled, "Enough!"

The occupants in the room which seemed on the brink of an all out argument went silent, and Kota looked from Mason to Tarfful in thoughtful consideration before saying, "I understand that there is some conflict over how to proceed, but if I may, I would like to say a few words."

Lasky sat back and observed the faces around him, in particular the Alliance personnel and even the Wookies. All seemed to regard the Jedi will looks of near reverence. It was then that Lasky remembered something. The Jedi had filled a role in the Republic acting as negotiators and mediators. Though each was competent and capable in the art of war, their true strength as outlined by Rolands report was creating peace.

Blessed are the peacemakers...

Lasky glanced at his own people and observed that each of them were studying the Jedi Master with looks ranging from thoughtful contemplation to calculating. Amazingly none seemed to view him with suspicion or hostility, despite many of their views on this 'Force'. When no one challenged him, the Jedi continued.

"During my recovery onboard the _Infinity_ these past few days, I was granted access to the historical archives of our new allies. While their history is colorful, I have found great leaders who have led with compassion and hope. Traits that we all aspire to."

There was one man who captured my interest in particular, and I have been occupying myself with his words and teachings."

Kota held up a UNSC datapad that was showing the cover of a book.

"This is the biography of an Abraham Lincoln, a figurehead of some country on the planet Earth, where our UNSC allies originated from. This fellow Lincoln has had some previous experience with internal conflict, and he has a quote that I feel will help us all: A house divided against itself cannot stand.''

Putting the datapad down, Kota went on saying, "What we can't forget is that we are all allies in our fight against the Empire! What good is this arguing and squabbling going to get us if the real enemy is much larger, ready and willing to strike when we are divided?"

Kota slowly paced around the table as he took each of their faces in turn, "This battle promises to be one of the most, if not _the_ most important yet for this young Rebellion. If we stand together here, victorious, the Empire, nor the people of the Galaxy, will be able to ignore what we have achieved, here, together!"

Kota continued his pacing and Lasky had to admit he had the complete undivided attention of the entire room, "But if we fail, we secede control of the Galaxy to tyranny. Not just for Kashyyyk, but for all worlds! For defeat here will lead to a grievous blow this Alliance may never recover from. To use another quote from our new Allies in the UNSC: We either hang together or we most assuredly will hang separately."

The Jedi stopped his pacing and turned to Tarfful. "Chief Tarfful, I can sense through your recent words, and your Force aura, that you fear the UNSC will become another Empire, taking over your birth-world for their own personal gain. But that is not the case. They have no love for the Empire. When they arrived in our galaxy though whatever freak accident happened, instead of a hand of kindness, the Empire extended a volley of turbolasers. The UNSC wants justice for the death of their people due to the wrongs of the Empire, and in reality, that is what the Alliance wants as well. Their leaders are smart, understanding, and care for the lives of its members and allies, isn't that right Admiral Lasky."

"Absolutely. You have my word that we will become nothing like the Empire. We recognize that it is your planet, and you have all of the rights to it. We just want to help keep it that way." said Lasky.

Kota then turned to Mason. "General Mason, you must also realize that Chief Tarfful has all the reason to be wary of the UNSC. Also, malnourished or not, you would be hard pressed to find a fiercer warrior than a Wookie defending his home."

Looking back at Tarfful, Kota said, "That being said, General Mason has brought up some very valid points. If the Empire comes, which we all know they will, they will likely come en mass. Ships _will_ get through our space defenses, and troops _will_ land on the surface. The support that the UNSC, Separatists, and Alliance could lend to your troops would be invaluable. Like Admiral Lasky said, there is nothing more they want than for the Wookies to have control of their planet, they just want to help you keep it."

Tarfful was silent for a moment, before he slowly started to nod his head.

"Your words are wise, General Rahm Kota. You are a true testament to the greatness of the Jedi. Forgive my wounded pride. It has always been the hope of the Wookie people that we could fee ourselves from the tyranny of the Empire and keep our world safe. I now realize that the Wookies will need any aid they can receive in this upcoming fight if we are to survive and remain free. So for now, I will allow the deployment of troops to the surface of our planet. I must stress this one condition though: the defense of our cities and towns will fall to us."

Lasky looked towards Mason. "General? Are you alright with this."

Mason nodded as well. "Yes I am. And Chief Tarfful, I am sorry if I insulted you or your species in any way, it was not my intention."

The meeting continued for about another hour, with the result being a coordinated defense that would be very difficult for the Imperials to crack, at least that is what Lasky hoped.

While members were filing out, Lasky made sure to catch General Kota to ask him a question.

"General, I was impressed with your speech back there. Where did you learn to negotiate?"

Kota simply smiled at Lasky saying, "Well Admiral, before the Jedi were forced to take up arms in the war that led to the Empire, and the fight against it now, we served as the Galaxy's peacekeepers. Many a conflict before has been stopped because of the wise words of a Jedi, and many will be after, at least, that is what I hope. Thank you for the reading suggestion by the way, but I must be going now. Starkiller has been pestering me to get some saber training in."

It confirmed everything Lasky already knew. Seeing the General walk down the corridor, Lasky couldn't help but wonder how differently the Covenant War could have been if the UNSC had a hundred Jedi like Kota or Starkiller.

But that didn't matter now, what had happened, happened. What mattered now was one thing:

Preparation.

* * *

**I hope that you all enjoyed the chapter, don't forget to review and tell me what you thought!**

**On a side note, whenever I'm writing these chapter I often listen to a playlist of music from the Halo and Star Wars franchises, so if you have a favorite song from either you think I should check out, feel free to suggest it!**

**P.S. Yoda will be back next chapter, so be sure to stay tuned!**


	13. Chapter 13: Arrival

**Authors Note: Hello, I'm just going to apologize in advance for the shortness of this chapter compared to others, this was pretty challenging to write for some reason. **

**I have been getting a lot of reviews and PM's asking whether or not the Master Chief will be introduced into the story. Let me answer that question right now: John-117 WILL be in the story! **

**In fact, I have started a new story called "Prelude to Eternity" that will be all about the Chief, the circumstances that prevented him from making the initial jump with Infinity, and his entrance into New Horizons. So if you want to stop on by that story and drop a review or two, please feel free!**

**But enough of that, hope you enjoy the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but all original content is mine. **

* * *

**Chapter 13: Arrival**

**Captain Serin Osman's Private Office, USNC **_**Infinity,**_** Kashyyyk Space**

"Captain Osman, you wished to see me?"

Osman looked up from her datapad, and found Juno Eclipse standing in front of her desk.

The ONI officer feigned surprise at her appearance, which was of course, not true. She had known the exact second that Eclipse would pass through the door, and the exact route she took to get there.

"Ahh Captain Eclipse! Please, have a seat." she said, gesturing towards one of the two chairs on the other side of the desk.

Eclipse sat down and eyed her the woman sitting across from her with a neutral face, "Well, I don't know if 'Captain' is the right term anymore..."

Osman nodded, acknowledging the point. "Yes I had heard about that. It's in fact that reason that I asked you here."

Juno's expression darkened for a moment, whether in shame or anger Osman could only guess. The air suddenly seemed heavy and charged with energy and for only a moment, Osman wondered if she had played her hand a bit early.

"What is there to say? I failed in my duty, The Alliance was right to sack me," Juno responded flatly.

Osman appreciated the loyalty the woman showed her fellow compatriots but wondered if it wasn't misplaced. Loyalty was something ONI respected above all else, no mater the cost. Juno Eclipse was a very competent and capable commander. Her file more than proved that, but she had been left out to dry by the Alliance on a risky mission following on the heels of the devastating loss of her ship and crew. A loss that she couldn't even be held responsible for.

Glancing at her file it seemed it Starkiller was responsible for the loss of the ship, using the ship itself as a guided missile to destroy a planetary shield generator.

In Serin's mind this woman deserved another chance.

Osman smiled slightly as began her pitch, "Well we'll just have to fix that, wont we?"

Eclipse looked up sharply at Osman in unguarded puzzlement, before she schooled her features into something more neutral.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" asked Juno.

Osman pressed a button on her desk and a hologram came to life, floating serenely over the desk. Displayed on the image with a file and picture. Juno sucked in a breath when she realized it was her file she was looking at!

Just who was this Captain Osman? How had she managed to get her file? While the Alliance trusted the UNSC, Commander Cracken was not someone who just handed out personnel files!

Juno wasn't sure she should be outraged or worried. It definitely put her on guard and made consider the woman across from her warily.

Captain Osman leaned back in her chair and started with, "Juno Eclipse. Born on Corulag, later becoming the youngest student to ever attend the Imperial Academy. Competent ruthless, ambitious, and possessing a knack for creative tactical thinking. Exceptionally high marks of leadership qualities and was selected by Lord Vader himself to lead his Black 8 Squadron. Under your command the squadron had a near flawless rating and success in assigned missions, in particular a planet called Callos-"

Juno closed her eyes and lowered her head slightly and sighed.

Osman noted the reaction and pressed on, "Reassigned under the Order of Lord Vader as his pilot for his then agent Starkiller. Things get sketchy here but at this point we both know you left the Empire not long after and joined the Alliance to Restore the Republic."

Juno shifted uncomfortably, "Its...complicated."

Beyond that she didn't elaborate and Osman could respect that.

"Your file goes on a bit more for the Alliance. And I must say its very...impressive."

Eclipse seemed slightly uncomfortable at the praise being offered her, and Osman continued.

"Yet, a single mistake, one mission gone wrong, and you are so callously tossed away by your superiors like a used dish cloth."

Osman could see the anger burning in Eclipse's eyes at that statement. Reaching into her desk, the ONI Captain withdrew a datapad and handed it to Eclipse.

Eclipse looked at Osman quizzically when she read it contents. "The _Accuser_?" she asked.

Nodding her head, Osman asked, "Now Juno, I'm aware you have no love for the Imperials, correct?"

"Yes."

"However, you used to be one until you couldn't stand the atrocities that they were committing."

"What are you getting at Captain?" asked Eclipse curtly.

Osman gestured for the datapad, and once receiving it queued up the video file of Imperial Stormtroopers murdering the families of the captured crew aboard the _Accuser_.

Eclipse had to look away halfway through, shutting off the datapad and handing it back to Osman.

"Now we've shown this to the crew, and needless to say, they didn't take it very well." Osman remarked.

"The Alliance has been pestering us to hand over the Star Destroyer to them, but that's not going to happen. We captured it, so we'll keep it, not to mention what the Alliance is likely to do to the crew. Although that has presented some problems. Even if we had the personnel to spare in order to re-crew the ship, we'd have to train them to operate its unfamiliar systems, something we just don't have time for. Add to that the fact that the _Accuser _is doing nothing but eating up resources for repairs. Admiral Lasky has been chomping at the bit to get some productivity out of it."

Juno snorted, "I'm sure the crew is eager for payback. I know the mindset of an Imperial crew. They're disciplined and loyal to a fault. But to be betrayed in such a manner..."

Juno shook her head sadly, "I know what it personally feels like. What the Empire did to me. And I've heard the 'stories' of what they've done to others who have failed. But this is too much. I'm aware that you've purged the crew of most of its high level officers. But the fact is they're going to need leadership to get through this."

Osman smiled like the Cat that just caught the canary, "And that, Juno Eclipse, is where you come in."

"Me?"

"Yes. It is becoming more and more apparent that you are the only logical person who could mold the crew of the _Accuser _into an effective and motivated fighting force, instead of us just leaving them wallowing in despair like they are now." asked Osman.

Osman leaned forward on the table and made sure she had eye contact with Eclipse.

"Juno Eclipse, On behalf of Admiral Lasky, I am offering you a commission you as a Captain in the UNSC, in command of the Star Destroyer _Accuser_."

* * *

**Mess Hall Six, UNSC **_**Infinity,**_** Kashyyyk Space**

Juno walked through the large double door to the mess hall and was greeted by the moderate din of UNSC personnel having their various conversations while eating.

The former Alliance Captain had commed Starkiller to meet her here, not because she was hungry, but that it was relatively close to both of their current position, and she needed to tell him something.

She spotted Starkiller sitting at one of the booths, twirling a piece of metal cutlery in his fingers.

He saw her and smiled, gesturing to the seat across from him.

Juno returned his smile and slid in to the table.

In an extremely dramatic motion, Starkiller threw the metal fork high up in the air, then without looking, caught it between his pinkie and thumb.

Juno couldn't supress smile that found its way onto her face. He could be such a child sometimes. It was a side of him she had never seen before their rescue on Kashyyyk. She was glad for it. To see him open up to her like this.

"Hungry?" he asked in a humorous tone.

"No, its not that." Juno sighed and looked down at the table."Galen, I need to tell you something. But promise me that you'll hear me out before responding."

Putting down the fork, Starkiller just nodded, the humorousness quickly fading away.

After a few seconds of silence she said, "I've been offered the command of the captured Star Destroyer Accuser."

"Really? By who?" he asked.

"Captain Osman."

"The intelligence woman?" Starkiller wondered thoughtfully, "What did you say?"

She was with UNSC Intelligence? That was something she wished she had known before going into the meeting. Come to think of it the meeting had a similar 'feel' of when she dealt with Imperial intelligence.

"I said that I had to think it over." she replied. She was rather annoyed at him for not telling her this little fact earlier. But she couldn't stay angry with him

The Jedi put a hand to his chin in thought. "But isn't the Accuser in UNSC hands...?"

"Yes."

"But wouldn't that mean..."

"Yes. If I accepted I would be joining the UNSC, commissioned as a Captain and the _Accusers_'scommanding officer. Once the fleet returned to UNSC Space...assuming it ever does, then I'd have to go through certain evaluations and attend Preston Cole War college to bring me up to speed on UNSC procedures and tactics. I'd become a Citizen of the United Earth Government"

He didn't say anything, he just looked at her expectantly.

"I've been thining about it. I no longer have a future with the Alliance. Commander Cracken certainly saw to that. And General Reiken wasn't able to convince the Alliance leadership to reinstate me. There's nothing left for me there."

Juno took a deep breath and plunged in, "I'm going to do it, Galen."

More silence.

Juno became a little nervous. "They would give me back my commission! A future! You have to understand-"

"I'm going with you." he interrupted.

Juno blinked rapidly for a couple of seconds. "What?"

"I'm going with you. To the UNSC."

Juno seemed dumbfounded by this. "But- you can't! The Alliance needs you!."

"They didn't need me back on Kashyyyk when we were captured." Starkiller reminded her, his tone a little venomous at the memory.

"What about General Kota?" she asked.

"Kota will understand. He always has." he answered.

"Still, I can't imagine the Alliance higher-ups will be very happy about this..."

"They'll get over it. Truth be told I'm not exactly the Jedi they had hoped for. When you need to extract a high value target or smash an Imperial garrison, I'm your guy. But...when you need someone to negotiate a treaty or mediate a dispute? No one looks to me for that. And since my past connections to Vader came to light, they refuse to sit in a room with me alone. I mean Bail did but...now he's gone and Garm bel Iblis and Mon Mothma barely even acknowledge me. Like you, I have no _real_ future with the Alliance either."

Starkiller reached forward and tenderly took her hand. "Besides, I was never made an official Alliance member, so they have no control over me."

Starkiller held her gaze and smiled."Juno, I love you. Nothing that happens will ever change that. It doesn't matter where we go, so long as we are together."

He looked at her, his tone growing more serious now. "I don't know if I ever told you this, but you single-handedly saved me from the Dark Side..."

Starkiller looked away for a second, "When I saw you on Kamino, held your motionless body in my arms, I felt something come up inside me. And it wasn't good. It was a monster, whose only goal was to completely and utterly destroy anyone that was ever involved in hurting you. The Dark Side beckoned to me, and I was more than willing to give myself to it..."

He held her hands a litter tighter and looked back into her misty eyes. "But then, you were alive! And when you kissed me, you banished all thoughts of revenge and hatred and evil out of my mind into the stormy seas of Kamino. I don't know what I'd do without you Juno. I almost lost you once, I can't let it happen again. So believe me when I say this. I. Am. Coming. With. You."

Juno started to slightly nod, smiling warmly. "Okay..." she said, "okay."

They got up from the booth, and Starkiller noticed Juno wipe some wetness from one of her eyes.

"Come on," she said, "Let's go see Captain Osman."

* * *

The door to Osman's office opened with a hiss and in stepped Juno Eclipse, Starkiller following close behind.

Shifting her gaze from some holograms on her desk, the ONI Captain looked up to see them.

Before she could even say something in greeting, Juno said "I've decided to accept your offer."

"Excellent, I'm glad you have decided to join us. Although, if I may ask, why is Starkiller with you?" asked Osman, her tone falsely innocent.

The young Jedi stepped forward, looking Osman right in the eyes.

"I wish to join the UNSC as well." he said with purpose.

Osman seemed caught off guard by this. "Is that so? And what caused you to make this decision?"

Starkiller just tilted his head towards Juno. "If she goes, I go."

The ONI Captain noticed that Eclipse blushed slightly and looked down at the floor at his comment.

Osman looked to and from the pair a couple of times, then slightly nodded.

"I see," she said, "Have you talked to your superiors about this?"

"Captain, I am a Jedi, not a Rebel. While we may work towards the same goals, I do not answer to them. I answer to the Force, and right now, this is what it is telling me to do."

Osman doubted very much it was the Force compelling him but she refrained from dwelling on it too much, let alone speaking on it.

"Well then," Osman started, standing out of her chair, smiling "There will be some paperwork you two will need to fill out, but for all intents and purposes, it's official."

"Welcome to the United Nations Space Command."

* * *

**Bridge of the UNSC **_**Infinity,**_** Kashyyyk Space**

Admiral Thomas Lasky took another long look at his datapad, and let out a heavy sigh. He was reading a report given by the head of Alliance Intelligence, Commander Cracken, on the estimated strength of enemy forces expected to attack Kashyyyk. Lasky didn't like the numbers he was seeing so far.

_Two hundred warships, thousands of starfighters, plus support vessels... _he thought. Combined, the UNSC, Separatists, and Alliance only numbered a little more than a hundred ships, and just under twenty five hundred Star-fighters. However, they had the home-field advantage, and a heavily fortified planet and allied populace below. Lasky knew that this battle would be a brawl either way. All day he had been thinking of ways to give an advantage to his forces, and he just might have found one.

"Roland," said Lasky, "what do you know of Captain Keyes?"

The AI looked up from moving some important looking holograms around and replied, "Quite a lot Admiral Lasky. What do you want you know?"

"Bring up the specs for his ship the Pillar of Autumn. I knew that it was heavily modified but I don't know the exact details." ordered Lasky.

"One moment sir." said Roland, accessing the USNC database.

"Oh, you're going to like this Admiral." exclaimed Roland excitedly. "Apparently the Autumn had an experimental reactor that could boost power by almost three-hundred percent. This allowed for this next major modification, a triple-shot MAC."

"Triple shot?" asked Lasky, his curiosity piqued as he homed in on that significant detail. Why hadn't he heard of this weapon before?

"That's correct sir. Due to the increase in output gained by the new reactor, there was enough power to fir the MAC three consecutive times. However, the weight of the rounds used was reduced, to about two hundred tons, and those operated in the fashion of shredder rounds. The first two rounds would shatter on impact, eliminating the shields, while the last one would hopefully cripple the ship."

Lasky rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he considered this,"Is there any way we could incorporate this weapon into our ships?" Lasky asked.

Roland's avatar smiled. "Now that, Admiral, is the million dollar question. Thanks to the Forerunner tech we've adapted into our ships, power wont be a problem on our larger ships, But the increased rate of fire puts enormous stress on the magnetic coils and seriously degrades them over a very short span of time."

Lasky sighed, "I'm beginning to see the problem."

Roland nodded in understanding "Indeed. And the situation is complicated by the fact we wouldn't have time to make the specialized lightweight rounds, we'd just have to use our standard six hundred ton rounds. While this would certainly provide greater firepower on target, it also greatly speed up the rate that the magnetic coils degrade. There were several Halcyon and Marathon class ships in service that were refitted with these upgrades but all were destroyed during the Battle for Earth. However it was during that time that we learned of the issues with wear and tear of the rails and coils. Not to mention shifting ammunition production to the newer rounds was proving to be a logistics nightmare. Post-war, with the Forerunner upgrades hitting fleet wide HIGHCOM discontinued further production."

"What about our lighter ships? Our Frigates and Destroyers?"

Roland shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry Admiral, but their reactors just don't have the power our larger ships do. Counting the shields and their improved systems they're pushing the limit of what they can do already. They'd be no more effective then they are right now."

Lasky nodded, he liked this so far. "We can worry about the coils after the engagement. How long would it take to install this on our Marathons and Halcyons?"

"If we get every human tech and Hurogok we have working on it, twenty four hours minimum." said Roland.

"Issue the order to our Cruisers, I want this done ASAP" said Lasky. "Also, I've been bouncing something around in my head for a while. If this battle deteriorates into a proverbial knife fight, which it has a strong possibility of doing, I don't have as much confidence in our own secondary weapons as I'd like to. I want to upgrade them."

"What do you have in mind Admiral?"

"You know the Mini-MAC on the dorsal side? The one that the Master Chief used to drive off the Didact back when we were grounded on Requiem? Is there any way we can install some of those on the port, starboard, dorsal and ventral sides?" asked Lasky.

Roland put a hand to his chin. "Hmmm... sort of like a harken back to 20th century broadsides? It's certainly possible. And some of these weapons could cover areas of the ship I find woefully unprotected. I can get the _Cradle _to manufacture some extras, how many do you want?

"As many as you can fit. See if you can't throw any of the smaller caliber Onager mass drivers into the mix as well."

"I'll get the crew on it immediately sir." said Roland.

"Thanks Roland. Get me Captain Osman on the vidscreen as well."

Roland just nodded his head and disappeared from view.

Lasky walked over to the vidscreen and waited for Osman to appear. After a minute or two the UNSC symbol was replaced by the image of the ONI Captain.

"Admiral Lasky sir!" she said.

"Captain Osman, I'll get right to the point. I have a mission for you and your ship. Seeing as the _Port Stanley_ is the only stealth-capable vessel in the fleet at the moment, you're going to be doing some recon. Coordinates have been sent to your datapad."

Osman withdrew said datapad and looked at the briefing message. "Kuat sir?"

"That is correct Captain. According to Commander Cracken, not only is Kuat an extremely valuable shipyard and repair station, thus making it a large target, it is also the most logical staging area for the Imperial fleet's attack on Kashyyyk. I want you to go their, ascertain the enemy strength if they are present, and gather intel about any possible weaknesses in the Imperial defenses. If the enemy fleet is present, I want to know the exact moment they begin to mass for a jump. Also, do not in any circumstance attempt to sabotage or disrupt the Imperials, it will most likely end in failure. Do you understand?"

The ONI Captain nodded. "Yes sir. I'll get underway immediately."

"And Serin? Be careful." added Lasky, sincerity in his voice.

"Yes sir. Osman out."

* * *

**Thirty Hours Later, UNSC **_**Port Stanley,**_** Kuat**

"Oh...Damn."

"Couldn't have said it better myself Captain." quietly commented the AI Black Box with a solemn tone.

They had been in-system for a little over a day now observing the massive rings of the orbital shipyards. The display of sheer industrial power in this system alone made the Anchor Shipyards at Reach look like a sad sick joke. The production capabilities of Kuat alone must have been ten times that of Reach and Earth combined!

Its one thing to know you were facing an enemy that was bigger than you. It was another to actually see it.

However, almost the exact moment Osman wondered when things could get any more boring, the Imperial Fleet suddenly jumped in-system.

"BB, how many?" asked Osman with a very subdued voice.

"A lot Captain. My sensors are showing fifty-five Imperial I and II class Star Destroyers, sixty Victory-class Star Destroyers, forty Acclamator-class cruisers, ten Escort Carriers, forty Tartan-class cruisers, and forty-five Carrack-class light cruisers. Two hundred and thirty ships in all. I'm also counting about a hundred support ships, troop and transports, freighters, fuel tenders, the like. We're going to have our hands full with this one."

"Now that's an understatement..." muttered Osman. The thing that had the ONI Captain most worried though, was while very significant to the UNSC, the number of ships summoned to make this fleet was merely a drop in the bucket compared to what the Empire could really throw at them.

It was simply staggering.

Osman continued to watch the huge Imperial fleet. After a moment of observance, the ONI Captain noticed something odd. Instead of making its way to the planet or the orbital shipyards to replenish supplies and regroup, the fleet was instead re-orienting itself.

"BB..." started Osman.

"I see it Captain. But what direction are they facing... oh. That direction."

"Kashyyyk..." Osman stated with a growing sense of dread.

The silence that met her told her everything she needed to know. They had hoped they'd have more time. Loiter in the system for a day or two and log every ship, fighter and what not. Now that was not the case.

"Send the message to Admiral Lasky including the intel we've gathered and put us on a course back to Kashyyyk ASAP. I feel that we're going to need all the personnel we can get for this battle."

* * *

**Storage Room, UNSC _Infinity,_ Kashyyyk Space**

Despite the fact that Spartan Thorne was not a betting man, he was almost certain that he would never find himself in as ridiculous a situation as he was in now.

Sitting cross-legged on floor of the storage room, Thorne looked around at the others sitting like he was. Staff Sergeant McKinney, Petty Officer Brooks, Private Sprints, and the Alliance X-wing pilot Luke Skywalker were all present as well. All of the UNSC personnel that were found to be Force-sensitive, and the young Alliance pilot were sitting in a circle, meditating.

"Spartan Thorne, help you meditate it will, if closed, your eyes were."

A voice admonished him lightly, full of patience and mirth.

And who could forget the diminutive green alien that was currently teaching them in the ways of some otherworldly power. Needless to say, he was just a little skeptical.

Thorne sighed and closed his eyes. Apparently, this Yoda guy had been the Grand Master of this once-powerful order, so he at least must know what he's talking about. Plus, SSG McKinney looked like he was really trying, and Thorne would be damned if he let an ODST beat him in _anything_, mystical Force or not.

He tried to do what Master Yoda had suggested. Taking long, deep breaths through the nose, Thorne tried to focus on himself, and the inner workings within his body. He was aware of his breathing and the beating of his heart, but he didn't know if that was a result of his augmentations, or the meditation actually working.

The Spartan decided to focus on his heart, and the steady beatings of his most important organ. It was calming, really, the rhythmic pattern that it endlessly followed, then all of a sudden, it happened.

It felt like he had gently fallen into a pool of warm-water; the realization hit him like a freight-train. He could feel everything. He was aware of his entire surroundings. He could feel the muscles in his heart contract to pump blood throughout his body as it pulsed with life. He could feel and trace the millions of electrical impulses traveling throughout his nervous system. He could feel the air entering his lungs, delivering vital oxygen to his red blood cells. But most of all, he could feel the threads of energy within him and surrounding him, all tied together in an intricate web so vast and powerful as to defy description and comprehension.

He could feel the sheer power of the Force.

It was exhilarating, but at the same time, ridiculously overwhelming. It only felt like a fraction of a second before Thorne was wrenched back forcefully to "the real world."

His eyes snapped open, and he realized three things. One: he was the only one still sitting, everyone else that was present was either out the door or moving towards it. Two: the red emergency lights were flashing, and klaxons were blaring. Three: Admiral Lasky's voice was transmitting over the intercomm, his tone urgent.

"...repeat, all personnel report to battlestations! This is not a drill!"

"The Imperials are here."

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**A/N: Up next, the moment we've all been waiting for: The Second Battle of Kashyyyk.**

**Please review if you have the time, I love to hear my readers feedback. **

**Expanding on that, if there's something that you'd especially like to see in the upcoming battle, feel free to make a suggestion!**

***_UPDATE* _Chapter Three for "Prelude to Eternity" is out! So if you haven't already, go check it out! *_UPDATE*_ **


	14. Chapter 14: Second Battle for Kashyyyk

**Authors Note: Okay, here it is, the long-anticipated Second Battle for Kashyyyk! This chapter is all about space, space, and more space. That being said, this was a challenge for me to write, I've never done a space battle as large as this one before. I hope I didn't do too bad. **

**I also took some liberties with the **_**Infinity**_**'s main armament. I know she doesn't technically have a Super-MAC, but I feel that she's large enough to where she can wield one. It won't be able to fire every five seconds however like an ODP, as it draws power off of the main reactors like everything else. Hooray for alternate universe.**

**Please feel free to leave a review if you have any suggestions for improvement or saw anything you liked.**

**Enjoy**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but all original content is mine.**

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**Chapter Fourteen: Second Battle for Kashyyyk**

**Bridge of the UNSC **_**Infinity**_**, Kashyyyk Space**

"Admiral! We're getting a message from the _Port Stanley_!" said the comms Lieutenant.

Lasky's head bolted up at that. He looked around the room, and saw that everyone's eyes where on him. They all knew what that message signified.

"Let it play LT." said Lasky.

The bridge-wide comm crackled to life, and the message began to play Captain Osman's curt, no-nonsense voice.

"_Infinity_, this is the _Port Stanley_. We've made positive ID's on the Imperial fleet, composition is as follows: Twenty-five Imperial II-class Star Destroyers, twenty-five Imperial I-class Star Destroyers, fifty-five Victory-class Star Destroyers, thirty-five Acclamator-class cruisers, forty Tartan-class cruisers, forty-five Carrack-class light cruisers, and five Escort Carriers. Two hundred and thirty warships in all. I repeat: Two hundred and thirty ships. We've also ID'd forty troop transports, thirty freighters, and a few fuel tenders, all ranging in size and tonnage. As of this message the fleet is reorienting itself to prepare to jump towards Kashyyyk. Estimated time to arrival: thirty minutes. The Port Stanley will depart as soon as we confirm the Imperial jump, we'll get there as soon as we can. Good luck, Osman out."

The bridge was silent for a moment as the crew processed what they had just heard.

Lasky quickly ended the brief seconds on inactivity. "Well you heard the lady, alert rest of the fleet and the ground elements. Has Admiral Ackbar checked in yet?"

The comms officer replied, "Yes sir, the Alliance fleet is waiting just outside the system, waiting for your word."

"Good." he replied, nodding. The plan was once the UNSC fleet engaged the Imperials, Ackbar's ships would jump in behind them and catch them by surprise. It would be no means be a killing blow, but hopefully would even the odds a little more in their favor.

"What's the status on the fleet-wide MAC upgrades?" Lasky asked.

"All ships reporting upgrades complete sir." he heard.

That piece of news gave Lasky a little bit of relief. Without the modifications, this battle would probably be a lot more one-sided.

"What about our upgrades to the secondary weapons systems?" asked Lasky.

"They're almost complete sir. The engineers just have a few more Mini-MAC's to install."

"Get them back inside," Lasky ordered, "Their lives aren't worth the extra firepower. And bring up the _Infinity_ on the secondary holotank."

"Sir!"

Lasky walked over to the tank and saw the UNSC _Infinity_ materialize, the familiar outline of the ship colored a soft blue. He pressed a few holographs and brought up the weapons diagnostics. Lasky smiled inwardly upon seeing them. _The Imperials are going to have their hands full with this,_ he thought.

On the _Infinity's_ bow side lay her main heavy weapons. Two energy projectors, four regular MAC cannons, and the crown jewel of the ship in Lasky's opinion, a single Super MAC. Almost fifty percent of the ships front half was devoted to the Super MAC alone, but Lasky knew it was well worth the space. That MAC gun could put a round clean through a largest Covenant capital ship, and it had performed much the same against Imperial Star Destroyers during the First Battle for Kashyyyk.

The armaments to her port and starboard side had also been extensively revamped, with each side now sporting sixteen Mini-MACs and twenty Onager Mass Drivers. The top face now had an additional nine Mini-MACs in addition to the one that it already possessed, bringing it up to ten, along with another six Onagers. The bottom now had six Mini-MACs, and the stern side had four. Add to that the thousands of missile pods and point defense guns scattered throughout the ship, and the _Infinity_ was armed to the teeth.

It would be a long, hard fight, but Lasky had faith that his forces would prevail.

The next thirty minutes or so was spent preparing: Moving ships into formations, shoring up ground defenses, and ensuring weapons were functioning properly.

Then, it happened.

Warning alarms blared, emergency lights flashed, and the main holotank flared to life, showing a holographic representation of the system.

"Admiral! New contacts at the edge of the system!" said the sensors officer. "It's the Imperials."

Lasky walked over to the main holotank. UNSC ships were shown as blue, while Imperial ships were shown as red. He noticed that there was a significantly larger amount of red than blue.

"Broadcast this across all of our channels," Lasky ordered, "This is Admiral Lasky of the UNSC _Infinity_. All UNSC and Separatist personnel are to report to battlestations immediately! Repeat, all personnel report to battlestations! This is not a drill!"

The transmission ended, and the Admiral turned his attention to Roland, who had just appeared on the main holotank.

"Alright Roland, what do we got?" he asked the AI.

"Two-thirty warships and assorted support vessels, just as Osman had reported. They're moving towards us on an attack vector, increasing speed, loose formation. Wait, there's a group breaking off from the main fleet, ten Acclamator cruisers, along with all the troop transports. My guess is that they're heading towards the planet to conduct groundside ops."

"Notify General Mason, let him know the numbers he'll be facing. And break off Task Force Delta to harass those Acclamators." ordered Lasky.

Said Task Force consisted of the Refit Halcyon Cruiser _Justifiable_, and the two Charon Frigates _Manhattan _and _Houston_. Their task was to ensure that the Acclamators encountered _some_ resistance on the way down and to provide fire support for the ground forces.

"Admiral, they're launching their fighters. Sensors are showing a little over four thousand."

"Four thousand?" said Lasky, his brows furrowed in worry. The UNSC, Separatist, and Alliance combined only amounted to around a thousand fighters. "Roland, tell our squadrons to stay within range of our ships point defenses, they'd get overwhelmed in open combat."

Lasky looked over to the secondary holotank were the _Infinity _was shown, and saw the single dark green circle that represented the fleets deadliest weapon. A single NOVA bomb.

Roland followed Lasky's gaze and said, "I know what your thinking sir, and the NOVA's out of the question. The Imperials jumped too close to the asteroid belt extends all the way to Kashyyyk's sun. Use the bomb, and the whole system will be destroyed."

"Nukes?"

"Possible. If we launch them from too far away, the Imperials will undoubtedly destroy them. Once we get into nominal engagement range, we'll still have to screen them with other missiles, and even then, Commander Cracken told us that Imperial scanners can pretty effectively pick out radiation signs. And besides, once the Alliance fleet hits the Imperials from behind, we have as much a chance as damaging them as we do our enemy."

"So we'll have to do this the hard way." he said. Lasky remembered something that Ackbar had told him about shielding though. In this galaxy, energy-based weapons were so common that ship shields were especially tuned to counter it. That didn't mean that projectile shielding was forgotten, it was still implemented to protect against collisions with various objects in space, it just meant that they were weaker than normal. Hopefully it would give the UNSC forces an edge due to their heavy reliance on projectile weaponry.

"Status on the rest of the fleet?"

"Green and ready to go sir."

"Our weapons?"

"All MACs, energy projectors, and pulse lasers are charged, and the safeties are off for our missiles and point defense guns."

"Shields?"

"One hundred percent sir."

"Admiral, the Imperials will cross the _Infinity's_ maximum engagement range in fifteen seconds!" heard Lasky.

Lasky found that his left hand had unwittingly reached into his pocket and grasped the dogtags of his late friend Chyler Silva. He looked down at them and ran his fingers over the smooth metal.

"Very well. Weapons, target lead II-class SD, heavy MAC." said Lasky.

"Aye sir, target locked."

"Target has crossed into range!"

"MAC heavy, fire!" shouted Lasky.

"Firing MAC heavy!"

Despite the internal compensator, the deck shook under Lasky's feet as the massive cannon fired, sending the three thousand ton slug towards the Imperial ship at a fraction the speed of lights. The Star Destroyer tried to turn, but the round was too fast, and it impacted right under the bridge.

The shields instantly failed, and the sheer kinetic force of the round shattered the back half of the ship into hundreds of pieces. The vessel broke apart, secondary explosions rippling throughout the doomed vessel. The MAC round wasn't done yet though, as after passing through its main target, it still had enough power to more or less vaporize an unfortunate Carrack light cruiser following along behind it.

"Two confirmed kills! MAC heavy recharge time, one minute."

"Sir, they're in range of the fleets energy projectors!"

"Weapons, pick your targets, coordinate fire with R'tas and the Separatists, tell them heavy tonnage vessels only!"

"Aye sir, projectors firing!"

A pencil-thin beam of extremely powerful and energetic particles lanced across space like a streak of lightning. It impacted another II-class Star Destroyer, boiled through its shields, and cut clean through the ship stern to stern, dissecting it.

The Separatist Assault Carriers and Battlecruisers followed suit, and the _Infinity_ rotated a few degrees then fired her other Projector. Eleven more silver-white beams raced through the inky blackness and impacted their respective targets. The results were much the same, with the result being eleven heavy Star Destroyers separated into halves of varying size.

"Twelve more confirmed kills, energy projectors recharging."

As far as a first salvo went, it wasn't bad. Fourteen kills, all of them I or II-class Star Destroyers, excluding the unfortunate Carrack-cruiser.

"Sir, the fleet will be entering main weapons range in fifteen seconds."

"Yes, but so will the Imperials," replied Lasky, "Tell the commanders of our cruisers to focus on the larger ships only, Victory's, Acclamators, and I and II-class SD's. Frigates and Destroyers are to focus on the smaller Imperial ships."

Lasky's plan was as follows: The _Infinity_, Marathon cruisers, Halcyon cruisers, and R'tas's Assault Carriers and battlecruisers would create a rough line of defense between the Imperials and Kashyyyk. They would hold this line as best they could, due to the fact that they could soak up more damage and dish out more firepower, until Ackbar's fleet arrived to engage the Imperial flanks. The UNSC's smaller Paris frigates and Thanatos Destroyers would be split into three task forces of six ships, three of each class. These task forces, Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie, would travel up and down the line acting as rapid response groups, providing extra firepower when needed or shoring up holes in the defense.

"Sir, MAC's will be in range in a five seconds."

"Weapons, have MAC's one through three combine fire on heavy targets, while MAC four fires on light targets." said Lasky.

"The Imperial fleet is in range!"

"All ships fire!" shouted Lasky.

The _Infinity_ shook as the force of four MAC's simultaneously firing was absorbed into the hull. Since Lasky had been so adamant about improving the secondary weapons, there hadn't been enough time to upgrade the _Infinity's_ standard MACs.

This was not the case however, to the UNSC fleet's Marathons and Halcyons. The Marathons, possessing two MACs, fired their top cannon, took a brief second to acquire a second target, then fired again. The Halcyons fired their triple shot MACs as well, along with the fleets destroyers and frigates regular cannons.

It was an awe inspiring display. One hundred and twenty-four slugs of six hundred ton nanoferroccic depleted uranium streaked out of the barrels of the UNSC ships towards the Imperial fleet. The Sangheili vessels also fired a volley of plasma torpedoes, a bright sparkling blue in the darkness of space. Though they lagged behind the MAC rounds in speed, they more than made up for it in power and damage potential.

Not to be outdone, the Imperials responded in kind, sending their own turbolaser and ion cannon blasts at the UNSC and Separatist line.

Lasky felt a pit of dread form in his stomach when he saw the Imperial volley. Coming towards them was a proverbial _sea _of blue and green energy.

"Roland, rotate us so that our port side is facing the enemy. Have R'tas and his Carriers do the same, and get our frigates and destroyers behind us! There's no way they'll be able to survive that amount of firepower." quickly ordered Lasky.

"Aye sir," responded Roland as he maneuvered the _Infinity_. "All shield strength has been diverted to the port side."

Lasky strapped himself into his command chair and brought up the long-range cameras. He watched as the UNSC's MAC volley struck home. Lasky saw two MAC rounds strike and bounce off a II-class shields, the sheer kinetic energy physically forcing it back despite its forward acceleration, stripping it of its shields. A third shot clipped the left wing of the Destroyer, shearing off a large amount of that side, including its heavy turbolasers. A fourth and final round impacted dead center under the bridge, blasting a hole clean through the ship, disabling it for good.

The Admiral saw a MAC round hit the front of a Tartan cruiser, gutting it all the way through, and emerge out the back, ricocheting off the shields of a Victory Star Destroyer. That same Destroyer then received a Covenant plasma torpedo, which burned through the remaining shields and boiled through the hull, leaving a large black canyon in its wake. The torpedo must have hit something critical, as the Destroyer started listing to one side and decelerating. The ship was put out of its misery when it was 'decapitated' via a MAC round to the elevated bridge.

And so the scene played out across the Imperial fleet. MAC rounds hammered down shields and burrowed through ships, while plasma torpedoes melted through vessels like a hot knife through butter, slagging large portions of hit vessels.

Lasky glanced at the sensor data. Forty-seven Imperial warships had been destroyed in the UNSC's first full salvo. Add to that the fourteen long range heavy MAC and energy projector kills, and that added up to sixty-one, almost a fourth of the Imperial fleet strength.

But now Lasky would see how the UNSC would pay for it.

The green and blue bolts of turbolaser and ion energy raced ever closer to the _Infinity_, and Lasky gripped the armrests of his chair ever tighter.

"Brace for impact!" he yelled.

The laser volley hit the port side of the _Infinity_, and the hexagonal shield shield sprang up to dissipate the energy. The ship tilted maybe twenty degrees, but maneuvering thrusters quickly corrected it. The whole bridge vibrated and Lasky clenched his teeth, but surprisingly, that was as bad as it got.

"Roland! Status report!" shouted Lasky

"No damage reported sir, all systems functional. Shield strength holding at eighty-one percent and climbing."

"What about the rest of the fleet?"

"The Sangheili vessels are fine, I'm getting reports of thier remaining shields anywhere from fifty percent to eighty. Our ships didn't fare so well. The Marathon cruiser _Say My Name_ is heavily damaged, she took the brunt of the volley meant for Task Force Charlie. The Halcyon cruiser _Austin_ was hit near her reactor, she's leaking a heavy amount of radiation and the Captain has given the order to abandon ship. Her systems have been slaved to us though, so we can still utilize her weapons. Sheilding is averaging about forty percent for the Marathons and twenty for the Halcyons."

"We can't take another salvo like that," said Lasky, unbuckling his crash webbing. "Get Ackbar and his fleet to move in and flank the Imperials!"

Roland put a finger up to his ear, "Admiral, they'll be here in about ten seconds."

"Sir, Imperial fleet is still advancing! They'll be pretty close before we can get off another MAC salvo!"

"Admiral, main weapons are ready to fire again!"

"Pick your targets and fire at will!" ordered Lasky, "Roland, comm R'tas, tell his ships to move forwards alongside us so we can take some of the pressure off of our cruisers!"

"Ackbar, now would be a _very_ good time to show up." muttered Lasky, as the report of the heavy MAC sounded through the bridge.

As if on cue, a mass of new ships appeared form hyperspace almost right behind the Imperials. Wasting no time, the Alliance MC80 Star Cruisers, Assault Frigate Mark II's, Nebulon B's, and Correllian corvettes opened up on the Imperials with everything they had. Before they even had a chance to turn around to address this new threat, almost thirty Imperial warships were destroyed as red turbolaser bolts hammered down their shields and blasted away hull sections.

Suddenly, the Imperial advance towards the USNC ships halted, as the rear half of the fleet maneuvered to deal with the unexpected appearance of the Alliance.

"Admiral, we're being hailed by Admiral Ackbar!"

"Put him though." said Lasky.

The UNSC Admiral glanced out the viewport as the Sangheili fired another energy projector volley, the bright white beams lighting up the surrounding space. _Hopefully ten more kills_, he thought.

He walked over to the vidsceen, where the pearly white background of the _Home One_'s bridge had appeared. Ackbar walked into view and looked at Lasky with his large eyes.

"Admiral Ackbar, I'm glad you could join us." said Lasky.

The Mon Calamari's voice said back in his gravelly voice, "As am I Admiral Lasky. I must tell you, our fleet won't be able to stand up to the Imperials for much longer."

"Understood Admiral. Do what you can, and we'll cover your egress back to our lines."

Ackbar turned his head to look at someone off-screen. "Concentrate all fire on that Acclamator!" he said, then turning back to Lasky. "I can do that Admiral. _Home One_ out."

As the vidscreen winked out, and Lasky glanced at the main holotank. The Imperials had stopped their advance, and turned the rear half of their fleet to acknowledge the Rebels. The half engaged with the UNSC had fired off another salvo, but the _Infinity_ and the Sangheili ships were moving in position to take the brunt of those bolts meant for the Marathon and Halcyon cruisers. To Lasky it seemed that the Imperials could fire more often, but the UNSC and Separatist's weapons packed more punch.

He noticed that the _Infinity_'s heavy MAC had annihilated an Acclamator cruiser, and that the regular MACs were ready to fire. As soon as he thought that, the UNSC ships let loose another MAC salvo.

The Imperials were ready this time, as their ships started taking evasive maneuvers, accelerated every which way. Lasky frowned, from this distance it wouldn't be hard to avoid the straight-shooting MAC rounds. He was right, as a majority of the rounds missed, with only a few unlucky ships being destroyed.

Lasky took a few seconds to listen to the myriad of comm chatter on the general channel.

"Reaper flight, this is FlightOps. Enemy TIE bombers are on an attack vector aimed at the _Heracles_, break off current engagement and intercept."

"Nav, new heading 44 mark 20. Weapons, new target, _Victory_-class in sector 3-9, fire MAC two!"

"We've got a hull breach in the aft maintenance sections, sealing bulkheads now."

"Shield strength at thirteen percent, we can't take another hit like that!"

"Activate emergency maneuvering thrusters!"

"Fire Archer pods C-1 through H-11 at that II-class!"

"Dammit, someone get this TIE off my tail!"

"Calm down, I got him, I got him."

"Captain, that turbolaser strike took down the last of our shields!"

"Well don't just sit there, fire back!"

"Shit. _Heracles_ get outta there! You won't be able to withstand another volley with the damage you've sustained."

"Roger, we're withdrawing to the _Cradle _for repairs."

"Archer missiles have impacted! Their shields are failing!"

"Coordinate our MAC fire with the _Orlando_, lets smoke that bastard!"

"Sir, Task Force Alpha is being sent our way to fill the hole the _Heracles_ left."

"Excellent, we could use some extra guns."

"MAC round confirmed hit, we destroyed their bridge."

"Sir, the magnetic coils are on the verge of catastrophic failure!"

"Then cease fire dammit! We can't keep this up for much longer."

"Engineering's been hit! The reactors are redlining!"

"Abandon ship! All personnel abandon ship!"

Lasky took his gaze away from the viewport where he was observing a dogfight between a couple of TIE Interceptors and a Broadsword, and looked at the main holotank. His well-trained eyes spotted something unusual, the Imperials seemed to be redeploying about half of the ships engaged with the UNSC to combat the Rebels, even though they had more than enough ships to deal with them. That was, unless they were going to try to...

"Roland! Contact Ackbar, tell him his fleet is about to be encircled!" said Lasky urgently as he realized what was happening.

"I'm trying Admiral, but the signal isn't getting through, there's probably too much interference."

"Dammit!" angrily exclaimed Lasky, banging his fist on the holotank. If the Imperials completed their maneuver, there would be no escape for the Rebels, and they would be systematically destroyed. The fact that Ackbar didn't seem to be noticing his fleets impending doom troubled him even further.

Lasky needed to act quickly, else the UNSC lose their only allies in this new galaxy.

"Roland, get me a link to the _Shadow of Intent_!" he yelled.

The _Infinity_'s AI pointed at Lasky, signaling that he had gotten the connection.

"R'tas! I need you and your battlecruisers to advance on the Imperials right side and create a distraction! I'm taking the _Infinity _to punch a hole for the Rebels to escape from."

"Aye, we can do that Admiral, my warriors are eager for more battle! All cruisers, fire at will! Burn their blasphemous hides!" said the veteran Sangheili.

The transmission ended, and Lasky turned to his bridge crew.

"Nav! Plot me a slipspace jump to sector H-23! Shield strength to full! Weapons, get me firing solutions!"

"For which weapons sir?" a crewman asked.

Lasky looked him dead in the eye.

"All of them."

The Admiral could have sworn he saw the officer give a small smile. "Aye sir!"

Lasky glanced at the main holotank where he saw R'tas and his vessels attacking the right side, unleashing a boiling hell upon the Imperial ships with flurries of plasma torpedoes and pulse lasers, the green return fire of the Star Destroyers splashing against the Covenant shields.

As the UNSC Admiral had expected, the Imperials diverted some of their ships from the left side to rebuff the Separatist attack, clearing the way for the _Infinity_.

"Slipspace jump, now!" ordered Lasky.

A short distance away from the front of the Infinity, a purple and black portal came to life, crackling with the energy of the alternate dimension of slipspace. With a mighty surge of her engines, the _Infinity_ burst forwards into the portal...

...And almost immediately arrived right in the center of the Imperial left.

The bow of the _Infinity_ collided with an Acclamator cruiser as it came out of slipspace, the ridiculous velocity gained by the UNSC ship crushing the unfortunate cruiser like an insect.

Lasky wasted no time, "All batteries open fire!"

The Heavy MAC was the first to speak, shattering the front half of a I-class Star Destroyer and demolishing the bridge of a _Victory_ behind it. The energy projectors were next, the twin beans bisecting a II-class SD into three sparking pieces. The four regular MACs punched four separate holes into another II-class, leaving it no more than floating space junk.

But it was _Infinity_'s secondary weapons that stole the show this time. On all sides of the ship, Mini-MAC's, Onagers, heavy deck guns, pulse lasers, point-defense cannons, and hundreds of missiles rained a fiery hell upon the surrounding Imperial ships. If Lasky had to describe it, it was akin to a shotgun blast at point blank range.

Hyper-accelerated slugs of superheated matter hammered down shields and sheared off sections of hull, high-explosive armor-piercing rounds blasted craters and divots, pulse lasers burned holes down multiple decks into critical areas, and missiles coordinated to strike where ships were at their most weakest, causing them to buckle with crippling explosions.

Where there had been almost twenty-five battle-ready Imperial ships surrounding the _Infinity_, now there was only their shattered, twisted remains. The attack was so quick, so devastating, that the Imperials hadn't even been able to return fire.

The deck was still shaking from the _Infinity_'s full salvo, and throughout the bridge Lasky heard cries of exuberance from his crew.

"Hell yeah!" yelled the weapons officers, examining the space-born carnage they had just inflicted.

Roland put a hand to his ear and motioned at Lasky to get his attention, "Admiral, I've got a link with Ackbar!"

The familiar gravelly voice of the Mon Cal sounded throughout the bridge, "Admiral Lasky, that was quite a show you just put on there, I'm glad you're on our side. I apologize for not recognizing the trap when I saw it, and for you having to risk your men."

"Forget about apologizing Admiral, just get your ships out of here and reinforce our line!" said Lasky, closing the link.

"Sir, the Imperial task force headed our way, one II-class, four Victory's, and about ten Tartans."

"Hit that II with a heavy MAC round, that should make them think twice."

"But sir, the heavy MAC's only at sixty percent charge."

"That should be more than enough considering what we've seen today, do it."

"Aye sir, MAC heavy firing!"

The gargantuan slug flew out of the barrel, and after a few seconds of travel time, impacted the II-class SD right on the nose. Going all the way through the Imperial ship, the round must have hit the reactor, as the Destroyer summarily exploded, engulfing a couple of Tartan cruisers in its fiery death. There must have been some hesitation amongst the Imperial Captains after that, as the task force stopped their advance.

What was left of the Alliance fleet quickly disengaged and fled through the hole the _Infinity_ had created, with the UNSC ship dissuading any potential pursuers with her heavy weapons.

The Rebel ships took a wide arc back to the UNSC line, where they positioned themselves to further strengthen it.

Lasky let out a heavy sigh when the _Infinity_ made it back to the center of the line. The Imperials had retreated a short distance out of engagement range and appeared to be regrouping.

"Roland, I need numbers." said the Admiral.

"Right sir. The Imperials are down about a hundred ships. Remaining are eleven II-class Star Destroyers, twelve I-class Star Destroyers, thirty-three Victory-class Star Destroyers, eighteen Acclamator cruisers, twenty-seven Tartan cruisers, twenty-nine Carrack light cruisers, and three Escort Carriers. One hundred and thirty-three vessels."

"What about us?"

"All eight of our Marathon cruisers are good, save for one who got her MAC's disabled, she's headed to the _Cradle_ for repairs. One of our Halcyons were destroyed, we're picking up the lifeboats that managed to launch, and another is badly damaged, leaving eight. All eighteen of our frigates and twelve of our destroyers are fine, your strategy regarding them worked like a charm. R'tas and his ships are combat-ready, except for a battlecruiser that took some heavy fire and is having trouble with its reactor. Be advised Admiral, almost every ship is reporting some kind of moderate damage, and a few vessel's shielding is offline or damaged due to the strain of the battle. I've run some simulations, the chances of us surviving another engagement like that without heavy casualties is pretty slim unless we get some time to make repairs."

"I know Roland. I doubt we'll get that time either. What about Ackbar and his fleet?"

"They didn't fare as well as we did sir. Most of his smaller ships were destroyed before we broke the fleet out of the encirclement. Although I will say, those Mon Calamari Cruisers can dish it out just as well as they can take it."

Lasky agreed with the AI on that, the MC80's certainly made remarkable warships. He checked the numbers of his fleet again. Even with the Rebel fleet bolstering the line they still only possessed a little under a hundred ships.

"Roland, status on Task Force Delta?"

"They managed to take out two Acclamators and a few troop ships before having to retreat to the Skyhook. They're standing by to offer fire support for our ground forces, and the Acclamators are moving into position to deploy their troops outside of our defensive lines."

Lasky pursed his lips. An Acclamator cruiser could hold a _lot _of troops ad vehicles, the garrisons of eight would put a real strain on Kashyyyk's defenders. He couldn't spare any more ships to commit to ground defense, he would need every one he had in space if the Imperials were to attack again anytime soon.

It was then when Lasky had an idea.

"Roland," he said, "When the Osman and the _Port Stanley_ left for Kuat, did they have a full armament?"

"Yes sir."

"Including nuclear stealth mines?"

"Correct Admiral."

"Can you detect the _Port Stanley _anywhere? Osman said in her transmission that she would be jumping immediately after the Imperials." asked Lasky.

"If she's here, than she's not showing herself Admiral. Hang on, let me try something..." said Roland as he brought up some holographic panels. "Aha! Found her! She's actually _behind_ the Imperial fleet, I've got an encrypted text channel with Black Box."

Lasky breathed a sigh of relief. "Perfect. Tell Osman that I need her to do something for me."

* * *

**Hopefully that wasn't too horrendous for you all to read.**

**Next up: the Ground War. Tanks, Planes, Wookies, Force-sensitive Spartan's, oh my.**

**So here's an idea. I feel that Halo is lacking in the Armored Personnel Carrier region of vehicles, and I really feel like there should be one. Bridge that gap between the Warthog and the Scorpion. So, if you have any ideas of one you'd like to share, your APC might be featured in the next chapter. **

**Also, if you're still wondering about the Master Chief and his whole deal, hop on over to my other story "Prelude to Eternity" if you haven't all ready.**

**Hope you enjoyed, and feel free to review. **


	15. Chapter 15: Second Battle for Kashyyyk

**Authors Note: Alright, so here it is, Chapter 15!**

**First of all, I want to thank all of my wonderful readers for making last chapter the most successful yet, with forty-five reviews, and pushing the story as a whole over 45,000 views! When I started out I had no idea that this story would get as big as it is. Could this be the chapter that that breaks the three-hundred review milestone?**

**Last chapter I mentioned I wanted ideas for a new APC, and a lot of you gave some really great ideas. There were two suggestions that really stood out though, and I incorporated the best of both of them into the new APC that is introduced in the chapter. Congratulations to 'anonomus writer' and 'masterchevyman' for the winning designs!**

**Just a heads up, but the Second Battle for Kashyyyk will last at least two or three more chapters.**

**On a larger note, this story still has a ways to go. I still have most of Episode V and the entirety of Episode VI to cover, and maybe even some events after that.**

**I noticed that last chapter I had gotten a few reviews concerning Lasky and the conservation of his forces in this new galaxy. You are absolutely true in mentioning this as a critical issue, and I will address it in the coming chapters. **

**Also, to those following Prelude to Eternity, I most likely won't update for a while, as my main focus in on New Horizons for now, at least until the Second Battle for Kashyyyk comes to a conclusion.**

**If you haven't watched Saving Private Ryan (awesome movie), I highly suggest it, you'll see why.**

**Special shoutout to my beta Sharnorasian Empire, turns out I only sent you three-fourth of the chapter to beta, so I apologize for that and made sure to go over the other half extra-carefully.**

**Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but all original content is mine.**

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**Chapter Fifteen: Second Battle for Kashyyyk **

**UNSC Skyhook, Kashyyyk.**

Colonel Tarkov had just finished cleaning his Battle Rifle when he noticed a corporal enter the door to the command post.

He racked the bolt back a few times to make sure everything was in order, then looked to his soldier, gesturing him to speak with a nod of his head.

"Colonel, I've got General Mason on the line for you." said the corporal.

"Put him through." said the Colonel, picking up his helmet from a table and put it on. Mason had already contacted him about twenty minutes ago, telling him that the Imperials had arrived in-system and were sending ground forces to the surface. He had spent that time going over his defenses and maintaining his armor and weapons.

The comm crackled to life and the calm, confident voice of General Mason came through. "Colonel Tarkov."

"General Mason, sir." replied the ODST.

"I'll cut right to the chase. I need two of your ODST companies to shore up the defenses of a nearby town in grid sector H-2."

"Grid sector 12?" asked Tarkov, "What happened to the Marine Battalion stationed there?"

"They got redeployed to Alpha City. SIGINT shows that the Imperials are massing more troops than expected in that area."

Tarkov nodded. Alpha City was a moderately sized Imperial-built city located on the coast of a large lake about a hundred miles due East from the Skyhook. It's strategic location as the only major city in the region made is an extremely valuable, so Tarkov understood why Mason wanted more troops there. He could also understand the Generals decision to redeploy his ODST's, the small town in Sector 12 served as a proverbial backdoor to the Skyhook itself.

"Taking half of my battalion is going to leave the Skyhook pretty undefended General."

"I know that Colonel, that's why I'm sending two platoons from 15th Armor, and a mechanized infantry company from the Second Rangers your way."

"Rangers?"asked Tarkov. He thought back to what he knew about Rangers. Through they operated under the Army, they functioned much like marines, meaning that they were usually based on UNSC ships. They specialized in atmospheric jumps, were experts in utilizing jetpacks, and were considered some of the best troops the Army had to offer. "If I can ask sir, why don't you send the Rangers to defend sector H-12 instead?"

"Your ODST's are closer, and the Rangers vehicles would be better utilized to help you defend the Skyhook. The Rebels are set up on the outskirts of all the major Wookie cities, and the Covenant are defending the other side of the continent, so we can't get any help from them either."

"Speaking of defense sir, what's the enemy strength we're expected to face?"

"One second Colonel," said Mason, turning to talk to somebody else off-comm. "Recon satallites are showing at least two battalions worth, with an armor company attached advancing on your position. ETA of thirty minutes at their current pace."

Tarkov frowned. The UNSC had only just under a battalion, as compared to over two for the Imperials. Not very good odds number wise.

"Is there any fire support available to stop them?" asked the colonel.

"Negative. The Halcyon cruiser _Justifiable_ and the two frigates _Manhattan _and _Houston_ are currently engaged elsewhere, but they have orders to prioritize support from your batallion. There's also a number of gunship flights that will be making their rounds once the fighting starts. If you need it, you'll get it. Now I've got other matters I need to attend to Colonel, good luck. Command out."

The line crackled off, and almost immediately his comm was pinged again. He checked the source, it was the sniper team posted on the roof of Tarkov's command post, the building he was in right now.

"Jacobs, what is it?" asked Tarkov into his comm.

"Colonel, the Rangers are here."

Tarkov walked over to a window, and peered out towards the rolling hills and fields dotted by patches of green trees in the direction of Alpha city. Sure enough, he saw a small could of dust slowly rising up into the sky.

He made his way down the stairs to ground level and stepped outside. After securing the Skyhook, Tarkov had moved his command post to the Skyhook Operations Bunker and the few buildings surrounding it. The CP was the largest building, four stories tall, with the Tether a few hundred yards behind it. The bunker was located underneath it, and was now serving as the area's field hospital. There were twenty-six smaller buildings ranging from one to three stories, that surrounded the CP in a rough semi-circle. The road to Alpha City, about two lanes in width, bisected the small group of buildings through the center, and a number of smaller paths and alleys ran in between them.

Tarkov stepped out onto the pavilion in front of the CP and began walking to the outskirts of town. He spotted his second-in-command, Captain Ferenc. Also Hungarian, Ferenc had been with Tarkov since boot camp, and was one of his closest friends.

The ODST jogged up to the Colonel and fell into step with him. "Rangers, huh?" he said. "Can't say I've ever worked with them, but I've heard some good things."

"Supposedly they are almost as elite as we are. Almost." replied Tarkov, the typical ODST arrogance showing in his voice, but jokingly so.

Ferenc chuckled. "Anyone who can use a jetpack has respect in my book Colonel. Metal deathtraps if you ask me, conveniently placed on you back and strapped into place."

Depolarizing his faceplate, Tarkov looked at Frenec with a small grin. "Yet you are willing to drop from orbit to the surface at extreme velocities and with little control, all in a glorified coffin?"

Ferenc shurgged. "Ehh. Different mindsets that's all. Would_ you_ try to use one?"

"Not in a million years." quickly replied Tarkov.

The ODST Captain looked sideways at Tarkov for a moment before shaking his head. "You sir, are an enigma."

Tarkov smiled, and the pair reached the outskirts of town. "Here come the Rangers."

Ferenc gave a low whistle upon seeing them approach. "Day-uhm. Would you take a look at those. Lynxes."

After the conclusion of the Human-Covenant war, military strategists re-thought some aspects of conventional warfare. While UNSC ground troop transports, centered around the venerable M12 Warthog, were moderately effective at what they did, they lacked the survivability that was required for intense or long-term engagements. Designers had recognized this problem, and had tried to solve it in the forms of the M312 Elephant and the M510 Mammoth. The Elephant had been too large and lacked significant weaponry, and while the Mammoth significantly improved on those areas, both vehicles were very large.

The UNSC had wanted a vehicle that could fill the gap in between the Warthog and the Scorpion MBT. More space to increase troop carrying capacity, more armor to protect those troops, and heavier weapons systems to increase battlefield value.

And so, the M44 Infantry Fighting Vehicle, the Lynx, was born.

Weighing in at thirty-seven tons, the Lynx was 5.3 meters wide, 10.2 meters long, and 4.3 meters tall. With an all encompassing 10cm ablative armor plate sloped at thirty degrees, the Lynx is more than fairly resistant to small arms and indirect anti-tank fire, but is still hard pressed to survive repeated strikes from heavy caliber munitions. Designers knew this, and had incorporated a truly revolutionary technology into the M44: the UNSC's first vehicle-mounted anti-gravity generators.

Taking advantage of the wealth of new knowledge gained from researching Forerunner and Covenant technology, UNSC scientists have finally been able to manufacture their own antigrav generators. The UNSC Army, who had the grant to manufacture the Lynx, jumped through hoops to incorporate this technology into their new IFV. Replacing the standard configuration of wheels or tracks, the antigrav generators made the Lynx significantly faster and more maneuverable than any other UNSC ground vehicle in service, with a top speed of almost 129 kilometers per hour.

To make the most out of its speed and survivability, the Lynx also packs quite a punch when it comes to weaponry. A top-mounted turret contains a coaxial 7.62mm M247T machine gun, a 30mm Bushmaster autocannon, and undoubtedly the crown jewel of the Lynx, an M68 Asynchronous Linear-Induction Motor, more commonly known as a Gauss Cannon.

The Lynx had a crew of three, a driver, gunner, and a commander, and could carry up to twelve fully armored troops in its rear-opening troop bay fairly comfortably. Lastly, the M44 IFV contained a small, fully automated medbay that was capable of stabilizing wounded soldiers until they could be transported to higher-level medical facilities.

The Lynx was practically brand-new out of the factory, and the Army had issued them to only its best troops, the Rangers. It would make the hop to the other branches of the UNSC in a short time though, at least Tarkov hoped so.

Tarkov looked at the approaching IFV's. There were eighteen Lynxes traveling in a double-file line, and they maneuvered onto the main road and stopped. One Lynx coming forwards towards Tarkov and Ferenc, and with a low hum the antigrav generators turned the vehicle so that the back was facing the ODST's.

The back ramp lowered to the ground, and twelve Rangers stepped out. Ranger Battle Dress was actually very similar to ODST's. They had the same make of armor, yet theirs was painted in the digitized grays, tans, and greens of the Universal Camouflage Pattern. Also, instead of an ODST helmet, they wore a variation of the MJOLNIR Military Police helmet with transparent visors. Finally, taking the place of a traditional rucksack was the Ranger's signature camouflaged jetpack.

One of the Rangers walked forwards and extended his hand, saying, "Captain Miller, Charlie company, Second Ranger Battalion." He looked old for a soldier, around forty Tarkov guessed, but he had the confident and calm aura that only seasoned veterans could display.

The Colonel shook it firmly, saying, "Colonel Tarkov, Alpha Company, 19th Shock Troops Battalion, 105th Shock Troops Division."

Ferenc stepped forwards and Miller shook his hand too "Captain Ferenc, same Battalion as Tarkov."

"It's good to have you Captain Miller." said Tarkov

"Likewise sir." replied the Ranger.

"I'll get right to it," started Tarkov, "We've got twenty-five minuted before the Imperials arrive, and they'll be coming unopposed, as fire support is currently engaged elsewhere. What's the make-up of your company?"

"Pretty standard. Three rifle platoons and an HQ platoon. Each rifle platoon has four Lynxes, and forty-eight Rangers. HQ platoon has two regular Lynxes, and two M44A's specially outfitted with 155mm Howitzers, thirty Rangers, including the mortar crews."

Tarkov did some quick math. "A hundred and seventy-four? Seems a little over-strength for a company."

"Unit sizes usually are when it comes to Rangers Colonel. Are we getting any other reinforcements?"

"Yes, Command is sending a tank platoon our way, they'll be here shortly."

Miller pursed his lips. "Your two ODST companies, my Ranger company, and a tank platoon against two Imperial battalions with armor?"

"We can do it Captain, we have to, else the Imperials could destroy the most valuable part of this planet."

"I know we _can_ do it, I'm just trying to think of ways _how_." said Miller.

Tarkov nodded. "Let's head back to the CP so we can do just that."

Miller motioned to his Lynx, and it hovered forwards, a few small step-like projections coming out of seams near the bottom. Miller hopped up on one grabbing a handlebar on the hull, and motioned for the ODST's to do the same. Tarkov followed his lead, and the two made their way to the Command Post. Ferenc excused himself, saying he had to make sure an MG nest was finished.

"What's the status of your defenses so far?" asked Miller as they arrived at the pavilion in front of the CP and walked inside.

"We've fortified as much as we could." said Tarkov. They reached the room where a holotank displayed the surrounding area and the UNSC troops in three dimensions.

Tarkov pointed towards a series of fields and hills just outside of their town. "We've established three basic lines of defense. Outside the town are two lines of trenches and firing positions where we will first engage the Imperials. Ahead of those two lines is a minefield as well. If we get overwhelmed, we'll detonate the mines to buy some time and make our way to the first lines of buildings here." He pointed to a grouping of twenty buildings.

He gestured to a river that ran right through the town, separating six buildings and the CP from the rest of the town. "There is a river that separates the first and second line of buildings, and is bridged in two places. If we get forced out of the first line of buildings we'll fall back here, destroy the buildings, and make our stand."

"Sounds good," remarked Miller, "Weapons?"

"Numerous MG's, hand-held anti-tank weapons, assorted small arms."

"Vehicles?"

"Until you showed up, none except for a few Mongooses that we dropped in with. Command in all their wisdom decided not to send us any in the past couple of days that we've been here."

Miller just nodded absentmindedly. "Where do you want my Rangers sir?"

"Disperse your Lynxes throughout the first line, we've already built some tank pits in case we got any armor. Take your infantry to the left flank, my ODST's will cover the middle and right."

The Ranger Captain spoke into his comm, "Sergeant Horvath, relay those orders to the men."

"On it sir."

An ODST manning some sensor equipment waved to get Tarkov's attention. "Sir, tanks are here!"

Tarkov walked back outside, Miller following him. He looked around in the sky, then spotted four olive colored Pelicans coming towards their position, Scorpions attached to their magnetic clamps. With four heavy thuds, the Pelican's dropped their tanks onto the pavilion, and three of the dropships quickly took off back into the sky.

One remained however, and dropped off eight armored figures before flying away itself.

Tarkov raised an eyebrow. "Spartans?"

The group walked towards the Colonel, and he noticed that five of the Spartans were wearing navy blue armor, while the other three had some kind of photoreactive camouflage, doing a very good job of blending in to the surrounding buildings.

One of the blue armored Spartans stepped forwards, forgoing saluting as they were in a combat zone. "Sir, Fireteams Crimson and Majestic reporting for duty."

"I wasn't told we were getting Spartans." said Tarkov.

"Commander Palmer thought you could use some extra help, but she didn't have time to comm ahead."

"Huh. Well I wont turn you away, but I'm wondering where I can use you best. I'll be frank, most of my ODST's don't have the greatest opinion towards Spartans." said Tarkov.

"Send em' our way Colonel," said Miller, "We'd be glad for the support."

Tarkov looked towards the blue Spartans leader, tagged DeMarco in his HUD. He just nodded in response. He looked to the camouflaged Spartans as well, his HUD only identifying them as Crimson-1, Crimson-2, and Crimson-3. Crimson-1 nodded as well.

"Very well. I suggest you move out to your sector. You'll be getting a single tank, two will be in the middle, and the last one on the right. Good luck." with that Tarkov turned around and began walking back to the CP.

"Alright then, you heard the Colonel, lets get to our line." said Miller, signaling a Lynx to transport them.

"Are those- are those Lynxes?" asked on of the Spartans, ID'd as Hoya.

Miller just smiled and nodded his head.

"Damn, maybe the Army isn't so bad after all." said the large Spartan.

The Lynx extended its outside hand and footholds, and Captain Miller and the Spartans got on for the short hop to the front line. The Scorpions activated their engines with a low rumble and followed the Lynx in a single file line. they traveled through the center of town, where the M44A Howitzer Lynxes had deactivated their antigrav generators and planted metal supports into the ground. ODST's and Rangers were putting up the finishing touches on the defenses, shoring up barricades and cover, selecting good vantage points, and preparing weapons.

The IFV crossed one of the two bridges, followed now by only one tank, and maneuvered down the metal streets to the front. They reached the front line of trenches and got off their Lynx, which quickly maneuvered itself into a specially dug firing pit, the Scorpion doing the same. Now they had five Lynxes and a single Scorpion, in addition to several HMG, rocket, and sniper pits.

"DeMarco, where does your marksman want to be?" asked Miller.

The Spartan leader turned towards another Spartan identified as Madsen, who was brandishing an SRS.

"Madsen?"

"I'll stay down in the trenches with the rest of Majestic."

Miller nodded. "What about your sniper Crimson?"

"She's already relocated to one of the buildings sir." said Crimson-1.

Miller turned his head to the row of buildings behind them, but was interrupted by Crimson-1.

"You won't be able to find her sir, she's very good at hiding."

The Ranger Captain just shrugged. Activating his comm, he said, "Jackson? Get over here."

A single Ranger climbed out of a part of the trench and jogged over to where they were congregated. In his arms he cradled a very large, jet black weapon, a sniper rifle judging by the length of its barrel, but not any variation of the SRS series.

"You need me sir?" asked the Ranger, a pronounced southern accent showing in his voice.

"Yes Private. So far we've got one sniper in the trench and one in the buildings behind us. I'm asking where you think you can be most effective." said Miller.

Jackson let the butt of his rifle hit the ground with a thud and leaned on what looked to be a large flash-suppressor as if it were a cane. After a couple of seconds of though, he said, "I reckon I'll stay down in the trenches until the fightin' starts to get real heavy, then I'll relocate to one of them buildings over there."

"Okay," said Miller, "Okay. I've got to go see to the rest of my Rangers. Get yourselves situated, the Imperials will be here soon." He turned around and made his way towards another group of rangers barking out orders. "Mendoza! Redeploy that M41 to the other side of that firing pit!"

Madsen smoothly sidled his way over to Jackson, who had re-hefted his rifle back into his arms.

"Soooo..." said the Spartan, "What kind of rifle you got there?"

Jackson smiled at the Spartan through his transparent visor. "This, my friend, is the MacMillan TAC-50. I found her on some backwater colony during the Covenant war, and the rest, they say, is history."

Madsen whistled. "A TAC-50? Didn't they stop making those at the end of the twenty-second century?"

"Yep, but when I found it this one was as good as new. Took it to the armory and upgraded it to today's standards myself."

Madsen eyed his own SRS, "Fifty caliber though? That's a smaller ammunition size than what the SRS uses."

Jackson chuckled. "It ain't all about size, you see." The Ranger sniper reached into a pouch in his armor and produced a single bullet, almost the length of his whole hand. The tip was colored red, with an orange ring at the base. "Now I have a buddy who's a quartermaster, in exchange for some exclusive Ranger apparel, he's given me quite a substantial amount of HEIAP rounds."

"No way," said Madsen disbelievingly, "High Explosive Incendiary Armor Piercing?"

"That's correct," said Jackson, lovingly patting his rifle. "This baby will explode a whole through the front armor of almost any vehicle, completely wreck it from the sheer kinetic energy, then proceed to set the whole thing on fire, all at ranges up to and including thirty-two hundred meters. Needless to say, the results against soft targets are... messy."

"I think I'm in love..." commented Madsen, looking adorably at Jackson's rifle.

"Can it Madsen, and get your ass in the trench, the Imps have been spotted by our recon drones." ordered DeMarco.

Jackson shrugged. "Duty calls."

The two hopped down into their positions and joined their respective squads.

One Ranger with the word _Brooklyn_ stenciled onto the back of his jetpack asked, "Hey Sarge, what are the drones seeing?"

Spartan Thorne looked over from checking the breach of his Assault Rifle to see said Sergeant, ID's as a Sergeant Horvath, pull a small screen out of his BDU's and power it up. It flared to life to show a birds-eye view of the area it was observing, but almost as soon as it turned on, the screen was replaced by a wave of static.

"Damn, there must be some kind of interference" remarked Horvath, putting the screen back where it came from after a couple of taps.

"Figures, Army tech at its finest everyone."

"Shut your mouth Reiben, before I shut it for you." threatened Horvath.

"Bite me Sarge."

"Don't make me kick your ass back to New York _Private_."

DeMarco picked that moment to intercede, "Sergeant, how far were those drones from our line?"

"About three miles Spartan."

At that moment Captain Miller joined Crimson, Majestic, and a few Rangers in the section of the trench they were occupying, no doubt having finished his hasty inspection.

"Sir, recon drone's not transmitting." reported Horvath.

"Thank you Sergeant, I noticed. Jackson, can you see anything?"

The sniper hefted his TAC-50 over the lip of the trench and observed the area through his powerful telescopic scope.

"I've got nothing Cap'."

All of a sudden, the back of Spartan Thorne's neck started to prickle and his hairs stood on end. Something was wrong... He quieted everyone with a wave of his hand. "Wait! Somethings not right..."

Then they heard it.

"INCOMING!" yelled Thorne, burying himself into the dirt.

All across the line Rangers, ODST's, and Spartans sank down as deep into the ground as they could while Imperial artillery began to impact in front of them.

"Those are heavy turbolasers from Imperial SPMA-T's! Get me some counter-battery fire!" Thorn heard Tarkov yell over the general channel.

Amidst the high-pitched whine of the Imperial shells and their shaking impact with the ground, Thorne could hear the familiar crack of the M44A Lynxes Howitzers returning fire. This went on for about five minutes, and soon Thorne thought he could hear another familiar sound... mines exploding.

"Colonel, their shelling the minefield!" came the voice of Crimson-2, MacKenzie, who was posted in a building and had a good view of the whole bombardment.

Soon after she had said that the shelling stopped, whether due to the M44A's counter-battery fire or otherwise, leaving a large portion of ground in front of the trenchline cratered and mine-less.

Jackson brushed some dirt off of his scope and peeked over the side. "I see 'em! Thirty-five hundred meters and closing!"

"How many Jackson?" urgently asked Miller.

"I'm counting fifteen 2-M's, thirty AT-ST's, five-hundred plus foot-mobiles, and that's just our sector sir."

"Shit," said Miller bluntly, "Colonel Tarkov, status on any fire support?"

"Three minutes out, a flight of Shortswords from the Justifiable arebreaking off their current mission and heading our way. Hold the line Captain." ordered Tarkov, closing the link.

"You heard him, nothing gets through! Pick your targets and open fire once the Imps enter into range!" ordered Miller. "Now what do we do?"

"RANGERS LEAD THE WAY!" Charlie company yelled over the comm.

The white armored stormtroopers were advancing at a fast pace, using their vehicles as spearheads for the assault and mobile cover.

Jackson adjusted his scope and sighted up the bobbing rectangular head of an AT-ST. So quiet it was almost imperceptible, he began to whisper, "Be not that far from me, for trouble is near; haste Thee to help me."

With an earsplitting crack, the sniper fired his rifle, sending a special serving of UNSC justice towards the Imperial walker. After a few seconds of flight time the HEIAP round impacted, burrowing through the walker's armor like paper and detonating inside. Orange and red colored fire burst out of the viewports as the AT-ST came to a sudden stop.

Jackson recycled the bolt of the TAC-50, sending the smoking casing spiraling to the ground while another one was chambered in its place. He quickly switched targets and fired again.

"This is Titan Platoon, Imperial tanks are in range, firing main cannons."

A deep bass roar signified the firing of the Scorpions main cannons across the line, the force causing the ground to shake.

Thorne saw a 90mm shell impact on the left projection of a 2-M tank, forcing it backwards and stripping it of it's shields. A second round fired soon after hit dead center, engulfing the cockpit in a large fireball and sending the tank crashing to the ground.

The Imperial vehicles began to return fire, ruby red laser cannon bolts flying every which way towards the USNC line. From this range it was little more than an annoyance, and the experienced UNSC troops knew that.

At this point, the Imperials had entered into range for the Lynxes main weapons, and they were in for quite a hurting. All at once, five streaks of 25x130mm projectiles were launched at just under a speed of Mach 40, the friction with the atmosphere turning the air blue around and behind it to an ionized, superheated plasma state.

Three of the Lynxes targeted AT-ST's, two slugs punching a hole clean through the angled head of the small walker, while one utterly vaporized a knee joint, causing the Imperial vehicle to collapse to the ground. The other two had targeted separate 2-M tanks, only to have both projectiles ricochet of the tanks shields, severely depleting them. The IFV's 30mm cannons opened up, hammering away at 2-M tanks' sheilds, punching dents in AT-ST's, or demolishing any unfortunate Stormtroopers.

The Imperials found that they had a significantly harder time returning fire, as the UNSC vehicles were positioned in pits so that only their turrets projected above ground. Even so, the sheer number of laser cannon bolts meant some began to hit uncomfortably close. One such bolt passed mere inches above the top turret of a Lynx, blackening the top with carbon scoring from the near-miss.

The Lynxes fired their Gauss cannons again once they had recharged, three of the blue projectiles crippling more AT-ST's, while the remaining two focused fire on a single 2-M tank. Though the first slug was predictably deflected off, enough shield power was drained to where the second punched a hole clean through the center of the hovertank, killing the driver and halting it's forwards progress.

The Imps had now crossed into the rest of the UNSC snipers range, and the high, sharp crack of the precision weapons could be heard up and down the line.

Thorne saw Madsen take four quick shots, and looked downrange to see four Stormtroopers fall, each in various stages of mutilation from the massive round.

"MG's, open fire!"

The M247H HMG's let loose their 12.7x99mm rounds, their short staccato bursts blending seamlessly with the sharp cracks, deep thuds, and high-pitched whines of various weaponry being fired. The MG's bullets fell upon the Imperials like rain, pockmarking armor and shields, shattering plastoid armor.

The Imperial Stormtroopers were being smart, hopping into the holes and craters their initial artillery barrage had created for cover. Realizing that their 2-M tanks offered the most protection, the white-covered troopers sprinted alongside them to better positions, careful to keep the hovertanks between them and the UNSC ordnance. As a result, only about eighty Stormtroopers had been killed or critically wounded in the initial advance from MG or sniper bullets.

Precision fire from the UNSC Lynxes, Scorpion, and snipers had managed to destroy or disable eleven AT-ST's and four 2-M tanks, not even half of the Imperial vehicles, and now the main force was within a few hundred meters of the UNSC line. Small-arms range.

It was then when it really started to get intense.

Spartan Thorne popped out of cover to deliver a quick three round burst to the chest of a Stormtrooper dashing from cover, only to be forced back down almost instantly by a flurry of laser bolts. He saw that many of the surrounding UNSC soldier were having similar problems, only being able to fire for a brief moment before being forced back to cover.

Still, he admired the Ranger's professionalism even in face of such hardships, listening to their comm chatter proved that much.

"I need MG fire in sector twelve, keep the Imps heads down while I launch a grenade."

"Two whites moving from behind a tank, 9 o' clock."

"I see 'em."

"Imp officer behind that downed walker, take him out!"

"We need some Lynx support, that 2-M is really hammering our position!"

"Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight."

"Cover my sector, I'm reloading."

"Damn, Lorenzo's got hit in the shoulder, get a medic over here!"

"Wade! Go check him out!"

Thorne popped out again and put two rounds clean through an Imperial soldier's visor, causing bits of brain, bone, and blood to fly out of the holes in the back of his helmet. Thorne noticed three Stormies setting up what appeared to be a heavy weapon just our of range of his Assault Rifle.

"Captain, the Imps are trying to set up a heavy weapon in sector three!" he relayed over the comm.

"I see it, E-Web repeating blaster. Snipers, take it out!" ordered Miller.

Thorne saw Madsen and the Ranger sniper Jackson adjust their aim, then fire almost simultaneously. One round went right clipped the neck of a trooper, tearing a huge gash in the black undersuit and sending blood squirting everywhere, undoubted having hit an artery. The second round, presumably from Jackson, impacted the E-web, wrecking it thoroughly, then proceed to continue into the trooper behind it, tearing a fist-sized hole in his stomach. The third trooper fell with a neat hole to the forehead, courtesy of the Crimson sniper MacKenzie.

Suddenly, Thorne's neck started to tingle again. His head snapped around to Jackson a few men down the line, who was in the process of loading another magazine into his TAC-50. Two words flooded into the Spartan's mind, drowning out everything else: _Jackson, Danger._

Thorne burst into action, using his augmentations and armor to accelerate himself to near inhuman speeds, reaching Jackson's position in less than a second. The Ranger sniper barely had time to turn his head around to see what was going on before almost half a ton of Spartan tackled him to the ground. A heavy laser cannon bolt passed through the space where the Ranger had been standing not milliseconds before, burying itself into the other side of the trench and vaporizing some of the dirt.

"Thanks." grunted the Ranger as Thorne pulled him up off of the ground. Without another word the two pointed their weapons over the trench and began firing again.

It was at this point when the battle started going wrong for the UNSC. They were inflicting a significant amount of causalities, but the Imperials outnumbered them almost five to one, and they were beginning to grind them down.

One Ranger was hit in the helmet by a laser bolt, the energy starting to melt through it. He frantically threw the helmet off to protect himself, only to get hit in the face by another bolt as soon as he got it off. He crumpled to the ground lifeless, his face replaced by a smoking hole.

A spherical metal object rolled its way into the trench, and the surrounding Rangers looked at it in horror. One Ranger yelled "GRENADE!" and dove on top of it as his comrade jumped away. The device, a thermal detonator, completely incinerated the selfless Ranger, yet he absorbed enough of the thermal energy to where his comrades suffered no more than sunburns.

A 2-M tank strafing back and forth sent a flurry of heavy cannon bolts right into the turret of their Scorpion tank, slagging the main gun and causing it to droop downwards, useless. A trio of rockets and a Gauss cannon shot immediately destroyed the offending tank, but the damage had already been done. Now with their biggest gun out of the fight, something needed to change for the UNSC troops, and it needed to happen fast.

"Now would be a hell of a time for that fire support!" yelled DeMarco after firing a few shots from his Battle Rifle.

As if on que, Colonel Tarkov cam over the comm saying, "Shortswords are ten seconds out! Everyone pop smoke, use that and the bombardment as cover and retreat to the second line!"

After a few seconds the air in front of the trench was covered in thick white smoke, and the UNSC troops hunkered down to await the incoming Shortsword run.

A quartet of Shortswords streaked across the sky and let loose their payloads of bombs, the impacts so close and violent that Thorne was actually lifted a couple of inches into he air.

The UNSC troops wasted no time, hurrying out of their trenches into the line of buildings behind them. HMG's were broken down, loose equipment was quickly packed up, and the Lynxes and Scorpions repositioned themselves in between buildings or behind barricades.

Majestic burst through the door to a building and Thorne rushed up the stairs, taking a position by a sandbagged window on the second story.

Only when the smoke cleared was the true devastation of the Shortsword bomber run revealed. 2-M tanks and AT-ST's lay burning on the ground, blackened and shattered. Pieces of Stormtroopers, a chest here, a head here, an arm or leg there, lay scattered about the fields, surrounded by copious amounts of blood and gore.

Thorne could see no movement anywhere, and were it not for him being the experienced soldier he was, he would have gagged. He saw something out of the corner of his eye, a few black dots in the sky. He increased the magnification of his visor, and a pit formed in the bottom of his stomach.

"Dropships incoming!"

Thorne thought back to the briefings about Imperial vehicles he had gotten. There were ten MAAT's, Multi Altitude Assault Transports, and three transports that were significantly larger. The Spartan had a bad feeling about what those three contained.

A wave of rockets flew towards the approaching dropships, and the more manuervarable MAAT's took evasive action. A number of rockets stayed true though and struck three MAAT's, sending them crashing to the ground in brilliant fireballs.

The surviving gunships sent a return wave of rockets and laser bolts into the buildings, forcing the UNSC troops to hunker back down into cover and killing the few that were too slow.

The MAAT's landed and disembarked their Stormtroopers, the white-armored soldiers rushing into craters or behind the burnt-out husks of their own vehicles for cover. The UNSC troops opened up on them with small-arms and MG's, but the Imperial Gunships sent them diving back for cover with return laser bolts.

"Take out those gunships!" ordered Colonel Tarkov, and another volley of rockets was launched at the MAAT's, catching the gunships while they were hovering above the ground and less maneuverable. Sixteen rockets struck four different gunships, turning them into various pieces of flying scrap. The other three MAAT's were struck with, blue projectiles from the Lynxes Gauss Cannons, the deadly precise superheated slugs annihilating cockpits, shearing off wings, or punching right through engines. A gunships that got its left wing clipped off spiraled out of control right into the squads of Stormtroopers it had just unloaded, enveloping them in certain, fiery death.

It was then when the three larger dropships landed a ways away from the line, and much to the UNSC soldiers horror, deployed three hulking AT-AT's. The dropships sped away, and almost instantly the AT-AT's let loose with their ultra heavy laser cannons. A Scorpion who fired at an AT-AT's knee joint only to find that it did little to no damage. The armored behemoth turned its head downwards, almost like an annoyed parent addressing an overly-loud child, and let loose ruby red destruction.

The Scorpion didn't stand a chance, the heavy laser beams cutting through its armor like paper, turning the MBT into a pile of molten, boiling metal. Another AT-AT turned its attention towards a brave, or stupid, MG team that was firing away, the heavy bullets doing nothing more than spark off the Imperial walker's armor. The AT-AT's return blasts not only took out the MG team, but the entire floor of the building they were firing from as well.

"Command, this is Colonel Tarkov, we need fire support ASAP! We've got three Imperial Heavy Walkers tearing up our positions!"

"Roger that, we're sending assets your way."

"Assets?! I need a fucking Archer Missile strike!" yelled the ODST angrily.

"Like I said before Colonel, _assets_ are being sent your way! Command out."

"Goddammit! Everyone retreat to the third line, get out of their walkers line of fire!"

Rangers, ODST's, and Spartans rushed to evacuate their positions and put the relative sturdiness of the buildings between them and the AT-AT's. A glancing laser cannon blow struck near a fast moving Lynx, the force hurling it across the road and into the wall of a nearby building, splattering two unlucky Rangers running alongside it in bloody smears.

Jackson, who had positioned himself on the roof with Captain Miller, brought his rifle to bear, aimed, and fired, right at the red viewport of an AT-AT. Much to the Ranger's dismay the .50 caliber High Explosive Incendiary Armor Piercing round did nothing other than chip away some of the glass-like material.

The AT-AT turned its head towards the sniper, and his eyes widened.

"Jackson we have to go!" yelled Miller, pushing the sniper towards the edge of the building as the Imperial Walker sent a volley of red lasers towards them.

"JUMP!" yelled Miller, and the two Rangers leapt off the building just as the lasers impacted. The two activated their jetpacks to control their fall, but Millers left stabilizing wing was clipped by a piece of debris from the collapsing building behind them and he spun out of control, hitting the ground much harder than he would've liked.

A lance of pain shot up his right leg as he landed, and the wind was knocked out of him. The Captain lay there on the ground for a moment, watching the three Imperial death machines continue their steady advance. He saw a glint of light out of the corner of his eye, and turned his head to look, seeing what looked to be a purple colored object falling out of the sky.

His brain quickly made the connection, he'd seen the same image on numerous battlefields during the Covenant War, but that didn't make the image any less unbelievable. _When they said assets, they weren't kidding_, thought Miller.

The Type-47 Ultra Heavy Assault Platform, more commonly known at the Scarab, barreled towards the ground at the ridiculous speeds gained from being deployed from orbit. In an image that every UNSC soldier watching would never forget, the Covenant Assault Platform landed _right on top_ of an AT-ST. The sheer amount of force resulting from the Scarabs acceleration and ridiculous mass caused the Imperial walker to crumple against the Scarabs belly armor like tin-foil, crushing it into thousands of pieces.

Before it had even fully stood up on its four massive legs, the Scarab fired its main weapon at the closest AT-AT. The superheated cyan plasma beam cut a huge swath through the walkers durasteel armor, bisecting it vertically right down the middle and causing the two halves to come crashing to the ground.

The surviving AT-AT turned its head and fired a stream of heavy red bolts at the Scarab that created a few small craters, but really just served to piss it off.

The massive Covenant vehicle fired again, the heavy beam popping the head of the walker like an explosives-filled balloon. Lacking a control center, the Imperial walker wobbled, then toppled over on its side, crashing to the ground with a resounding thud. The Scarabs anti-air cannon raked its blue projectiles across the ground in front of it, annihilating the rest of the Stormtroopers that had been dropped off by the MAAT's.

Miller could hear cheers of triumph and victory being yelled over the comm, and saw Jackson jogging over to him. The sniper helped the Captain up to his feet, and smiled at him, saying, "We won sir!"

Miller dusted himself off, replying with, "Yes, we won this battle, but this is just the first of many to come."

Jackson's expression became more serious and he nodded at the Captains words.

Over the comm Miller heard Tarkov addressing Command, "Command this is Tarkov, the Skyhook is secure from enemy ground forces, repeat, the Skyhook is secure."

"Roger that, we're sending a Marine battalion your way to relieve you. Once they arrive your forces are being redeployed to Alpha City, Rangers and Spartans included. The Imperials managed to obtain a significant portion of Alpha City in their initial assault, and we're going to take it back."

* * *

**A/N: So whadya think? Good? Bad? Awesome? Horrendous?**

**Got a question to ask of you all. **

**Did you like the Rangers? I thought it would be a cool way to introduce the new Lynx IFV's and one badass group of characters. **

**Please feel free to leave a review with your answers, questions, thoughts, suggestions, criticism, or any other such things. **

**Hope you enjoyed. **


	16. Chapter 16: Second Battle for Kashyyyk

**Authors Note: I'm just going to start out by apologizing for the extremely long update time for this chapter, almost twice as long as usual, sorry...**

**Anyways, here it is, the Second Battle of Kashyyyk rages on. For those of you who are wondering when the battle will end, it will be next chapter for sure. **

**I've gotten a few reviews asking for some Yoda badassery, ask and ye shall receive, however, it is not in the way that you might have expected. **

**Glad you all liked the Rangers and the Lynxes, I'm definitely going to keep them around. **

**Lots of milestones broken by this chapter and the previous one. 53,000 plus hits, 340 reviews, 200 plus favorites and follows, and with this chapter New Horizons is now a member of the 100,000 word club! I just want to thank every single one of my readers who have helped to make this happen, I never would have thought that this story would get so big, being my first fanfic and all. **

**As always, a very special shoutout to my betas JonHarper and Sharnorasian Empire.**

**If you would please be so kind as to read the after-chapter Authors Note as well, I have a couple of questions/requests for you all. **

**Enjoy**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but all original content is mine.**

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen: Second Battle for Kashyyyk**

**Alpha City, Kashyyyk**

Captain John Miller glanced around at First Squad, First Platoon, each dimly lit in the dull red lighting of the Lynx's interior troop bay. He could see the steely resolve on the faces of his Rangers through the transparent visors of their helmets. He could see no sign of hesitation, fear, anger, excitement, in any of them, just the blank emotion of readiness to do their jobs. And they trusted Miller to make sure that job was carried out, whatever it may be.

In this case, the Lynx Miller was in now, along with two other Lynxes and their troops, were being sent to assault an Imperial position that was deemed too small for an airstrike or artillery barrage, but too large to just be left alone. _And so the Rangers get the call,_ thought Miller.

He brought up a tactical map of the area they were supposed to take for the UNSC in his HUD. The Imperial position was located at the end of a wide street where there happened to be a four story building serving as a makeshift fortress. Two lines of interconnected two and three story buildings ran along each side of the street, creating a sort of U-shape along with the road. Recon drones had ID'd four E-web repeating blaster emplacements, two 2-M tanks, two AT-ST walkers, and about seventy Stormtroopers guarding the position. Miller had no idea as to why, but a large thirty meter wall surrounded the entirety of the U-shape, removing the option of an attack from behind.

The internal speakers of the Lynx crackled to life, and the IFV commander said, "One minute to engagement range."

Miller nodded, then chinned his comm to life. "Majestic, Crimson, I have new orders for you."

The Spartan fireteams were in their own Lynx, they had been attached to Millers two Ranger squads for the duration of this assault.

The distinct voice of Majestic leader Paul DeMarco came back, "Roger sir, what do you need?"

"As soon as we get into range, the Imperials are going to open up with everything they have on us. There's really nothing I've seen in the intelligence that could take out our Lynxes, but it'll be a deathtrap for my Rangers on the street with all the anti-infantry capability they have. As soon as we deploy out of the IFV's, I'm ordering my troops into the buildings branching either side of the street." said Miller.

"That all sounds good sir, but where do you want us?" asked DeMarco.

"Majestic and Crimson will stay with the Lynxes on the street." casually said.

The line was silent for a second. "Hold on a second Captain, didn't you just call the street a deathtrap for infantry?" questioned DeMarco.

"Yes, but you aren't infantry, are you? You Spartants have a lot more survivability with the advantages given by your armor, so you should be fine. Besides, the Imperials are more than likely to focus their attention on you and the Lynxes, allowing my Rangers to advance through the buildings on the side of the road and flank the main Imperial building with a lot less hassle."

"I can't say I like this idea very much, but we'll do it sir."

Miller frowned a little in annoyance, "I don't care whether you like it or not, it's an order and you'll do it anyways. Miller out."

Sitting across from him, Sergeant Horvath chuckled. "Spartans getting a little to big for their britches, eh?"

"They're dammed fine soldiers, I'll give them that, but more than a few need to get their egos in check." replied Miller.

"The chain of command is a wonderful thing Captain." commented Horvath.

"Twenty seconds!" yelled their Lynx commander.

"Alight you hear the man, stand up!" yelled Miller over his Ranger's general comm.

The Rangers in the Lynx stood up into two single-file lines, ready to burst out of the rear door once it opened.

"Check your jets!"

Each Ranger checked the jetpack of the man in front of him to make sure it was secured correctly, and that there were no visible problems they could see. The two Rangers in the back of the lines were the most experienced, in this case Captain Miller and Sergeant Horvath, and were expected to have already checked their jetpacks prior to combat. Each Ranger then grabbed a roof mounted handle in order to steady themselves while standing.

"Rangers, as soon as we clear the Lynxes I want you in those buildings, standard fast assault tactics! Get out of the street as quickly as you can! What do we do?"

"RANGERS LEAD THE WAY SIR!" was the hollered response.

"Hooah!" yelled Miller, feeling the adrenaline begin to pump though his blood.

The Lynx shook as a ten round burst was sent downrange from its 30mm cannon, and Miller heard the sharp crack of the Gauss cannon being fired as well.

Suddenly, the IFV veered to the left, causing a few Rangers to almost lose their footing. The autocannon started firing again, and over the speakers the commander yelled, "Left side! Left side! Left side!" indicating that the Lynx was on the leftmost side of the street.

The rear ramp crashed open to the ground, and Miller yelled, "Go! Go! Go!"

The Rangers sprinted down the ramp into the soft yellow sunlight of approaching dusk, marred only by the hell of battle. The troops turned to the right in order to face the buildings on the left side of the street, and they found a three story building directly in front of them.

Miller chose a window on the second story, and with a quick pair of blinks activated his jetpack. The thurst propelled him up off the ground and forwards, and the Ranger Captain crashed through the glass of the window onto the floor of the building, Assault Rifle raised.

He flicked on his thermals for a second, and saw nothing except the encrypted IFF tags of his own Rangers. Even so, he checked the rooms around him to make sure they were unoccupied.

"Second floor, clear!"

"First floor clear!

"Third floor clear!"

"Rooftop, clear!"

Miller nodded. "Jackson? Get on the roof and see what you can do about those E-web emplacements!"

"Sir!"

"Captain, I've got a door that leads into the next building, first floor!" said Horvath.

"Alright, set up a breaching charge while we make our way down there." said Miller, running down a set of stairs to the first floor. Switching to a different comm channel he asked, "Spartans, how are you doing?"

"We're holding Captain, both AT-ST's are down, but those 2-M tanks and their damn sheilds are starting to get pretty annoying. We'd sure appreciate it if you could get rid of those E-webs though!" replied DeMarco, the chatter of gunfire and the whine of laser bolts coming through over the comm.

"Jackson's working on that right now Spartan. We're in the process of advancing though the buildings to the Imperial position, keep their attention!" ordered Miller, reaching the door to the next building.

"Stack up, Caparzo you're going in first with your shotgun."

Miller took his position on the wall, and yelled "Fire in the hole!"

The C10 shaped charge detonated, and the door flew inwards. The Rangers rushed through the open doorway and fanned out into the new buildings rooms, only to find that they were all empty.

"Clear!"

"Clear!"

"Second floor clear!"

"Buildings clear, lets move on to the next one!"

The Rangers rushed through the next couple of buildings until they got to the one immediately adjacent to the Imperial position. Much to their surprise, it was empty as well.

"I'll be damned. Sometimes the tactical stupidity of the Imps amazes me. It's as if they haven't fought against a strategically thinking opponent." remarked Sergeant Horvath.

"Good for us, bad for them." said Miller. "Mellish, the wall?"

"No good sir. For some reason the walls connecting this building to the Imperial position are four feet of solid metal. We wouldn't have enough explosives to blow through unless we want to compromise the integrity of both buildings." replied the Private.

Private Rieben spoke up, "Attack down through the roof Cap?"

Miller nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. The recon drone shows roof access on both our building and the Imperial one, we'll make a short hop over and clear the structure from the top. Sergeant, notify the other squad across the street, and lets get up to the roof."

As Horvath relayed the plan to the other squad, Miller ran up the stairway to the roof, the rest of his Rangers close behind. At the top of the stairway was a door that led to the roof, and Miller kicked it open.

Almost instantly, a long, thin red beam cut across the air and passed centimeters away from Miller's shoulderplate, the intense heat blackening the armor and blistering the skin underneath. The Ranger Captain instinctively jumped backwards, crashing into the arms of Private Rieben.

"Jeez Cap, you coulda at least bought me dinner first..."

"Shut up Private." scolded Miller. "Jackson? There's a sniper on the roof of the Imperial position, almost took off my arm. Can you take him out?"

"I can't see him, he's above me. Hold on a sec." replied the sniper.

Despite the cacophony of laser bolts, bullets, and cannon rounds being fired, Miller could still make out the unmistakable crack of Jackson's TAC-50.

"The roof is clear Captain, you're good. All the E-webs are down too, although one of those Spartan snipers nicked one of my kills. Asshole..."

"Good work Jackson. Let's move Rangers!" ordered Miller, storming out the door, rifle raised. Without stopping, he activated his jetpack and jumped across the distance between the two rooftops with ease.

Miller could see the body of the sniper, rather, the two halves of him, lying on the ground, crimson blood spilling out onto the roof.

"Jackson, how the hell did you make that shot if you couldn't even see him?" asked Miller.

"Ahh well, you know Cap, jetpacks are wonderful things."

Miller glanced downwards to to the street to observe the intense firefight taking place there. He immediately observed that one of the Lynx's Gauss Cannon had been melted off by a lucky hit, it was farther back that the other two, firing suppressive bursts at anything that moved. The front two Lynxes were focusing fire on a single 2-M tank that had its shields down, 30mm cannon rounds tearing off chunks of its armor. With a sonic crack, two blue-hued Gauss rounds punched through the hovertank, one where the pilot would have sat, and one through the left 'wing', sending the vehicle crashing to the ground, disabled.

Taking the initiative, Majestic let out a hail of suppression fire and burst forwards from cover, advancing on the disadvantaged Imperials. Crimson, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found.

Miller turned his attention back to the roof, and he saw the other Ranger squad had joined with his.

"Captain, there's a door right over there that leads down into the building." pointed out Horvath.

Miller snorted. "Doors? Have some creativity Sergeant."

Horvath smiled. "Death from above."

"Hooah."

"You heard the Cap! Get charges on the floor, prepare for Building Clear Pattern Delta!"

"Charges primed, fire in the hole!"

The explosives detonated, creating a large hole in the ceiling for the Rangers to assault down through.

"Grenades!" yelled Miller, and two fragmentation grenades were tossed down into the hole, exploding not half a second later.

"Go! Go! Go!"

Miller jumped down the hole and landed with a thud, bending his knees to absorb some of the shock, rifle raised. The walls were painted with the blood and guts of at least four unfortunate Stormtroopers that got caught in the dual blasts of the breaching charges and the grenades.

He stacked next to an open doorway, behind the shotgun-wielding Caparzo.

"I got your two Private." said Miller, tapping him twice on the shoulder, the signal to go.

Caparzo quickly turned the corner, with Miller close behind, and Horvath behind him.

As the adrenaline rushed into his veins, time seemed to slow down for Miller. His veteran eyes took in the wave of information presented by the new room that they had entered into.

There was a Stormtrooper taking cover behind an overturned table, in the process of raising his black rifle before being nearly decapitated by a blast from Caparzo's shotgun.

Miller saw movement in a doorway to his left, and he snapped his rifle around to engage a pair of Stormtroopers rushing through. He let loose a hail of bullets from his Assault Rifle, which at this range had little trouble shattering through the troopers plastoid armor. The two men fell almost instantly, blood pouring from a number of new holes in their bodies.

"Clear!" called Horvath, stacking up on the next door.

Miller joined him, his sharp ears picking up the muffled gunfire and laser blasts sounding all around him.

"Next room, go."

The three filed into an empty room with a downward leading staircase at the far end.

"Stairs?" asked Caparzo.

Miller nodded, and the Rangers quickly, yet warily, sped down the stairs.

They entered into another room, and it was there where Miller saw something he would never forget.

There was a Stormtrooper, floating almost a meter off the ground, bleeding from a large puncture wound in his chest. Leaning against a wall on the left were the remains of two other troopers, one missing most of its face, the other decapitated.

Suddenly, the Imperial trooper in the air came crashing to the floor, and seemingly out of thin air materialized the unmistakable bulk of a UNSC Spartan, Miller's FOF tag identifying him as Crimson-2.

"Captain." said the Spartan, nodding at Miller.

"Spartan." he replied.

"The first and second floors have been cleared, Majestic reports that the second 2-M tank is destroyed, and they're mopping up whats left of the outside defense." relayed the Spartan.

Horvath walked up to Miller, "Captain, Lieutenant Jacobs from Second squad is reporting the third and fourth floors clear as well. He's got two wounded, one badly, she needs a medevac."

The Ranger Captain turned to look at Horvath, saying, "Get her to one of the Lynx's outside ASAP, see if the onboard medical station can't get her stabilized, and contact a Falcon to get her to one of the field hospitals."

Miller blinked to cycled through comm channels, and upon finding the correct one, reported, "Command, this is Charlie Actual, objective completed."

"Roger that Charlie Actual, good work, but we're not done yet." came the reply. "You and the two Spartan teams have new orders."

Miller nodded to himself, "What needs to be done?"

* * *

Starkiller ducked under a pair of ruby red laser bolts, then extended his hand, sending a lance of force lightning into the two Stormtroopers that had fired them. As soon as their smoking bodies hit the floor however, six more troopers replaced them, sending a flurry of laser bolts at the Jedi.

Starkiller spun a fantastic sapphire defense with his two lightsabers, deflecting bolts in every direction, one actually hitting a Stormtrooper in the throat, burning though his black bodysuit and melting his skin.

With a mighty heave, the Jedi sent a colossal wave of energy forwards, blasting the six Stormtroopers off of their feet, along with the ten behind them.

He leapt backwards through a heavy blast door, quickly closed it via the nearby console, then slashed it with his lightsaber, disabling it. _That should slow them down some_, he thought.

With the back of his hand, Starkiller wiped off some of the sweat running down his forehead.

As much as he hated to admit it, he was tired.

He had been fighting nonstop since the Imperials had landed almost eight hours ago, and he could feel it begin to take its toll on his body.

Starkiller closed his eyes and took a deep breath, reaching out to the familiar touch of the Force. It responded to his call, rushing into him like a healing medicine, wiping away his fatigue and replacing it with a new vigor.

Banging on the other side of the door caused Starkiller's eyes to fly open. He pursed his lips, realizing that the tactical situation he was in was at best, extremely desperate.

About two hours ago, Starkiller had started rescuing squads of UNSC or Alliance troopers cut off from their own forces or surrounded by the Imperial advances. He had been surprised by the soldiers willingness to follow him, especially the UNSC personnel. It might have also had to do with the fact that there was no one with a rank higher than Corporal. He had eventually amassed a pretty sizable force of about a hundred men and women.

And then, of course, the comms went down.

With no way to contact any of the higher-ups, Starkiller took the initiative, choosing to aid the Wookies in the defense of a nearby Wroshyr tree. The furry warriors had been glad for the help, they were already spread thin enough as it was. He had, after all, risked his life to free them from the grasp of the Imperials, so they seemed to trust him enough.

Things had gotten bad almost immediately. Not one minute after they had started to establish defensive positions in a large hangar that led into the bowels of the Wroshyr tree, the Imperials had arrived in force. Four MAAT gunships burst into the open hangar, and before the UNSC and Alliance troops knew what happened, the initial volley of rockets and laser fire had already halved their number.

Knowing that they didn't have the strength or firepower to deal with the overwhelming presence of the Imperial gunships, Starkiller had ordered the retreat deeper into the tree. The Imperial Stormtroopers pursued them relentlessly, and as a result the Jedi was forced into some of the fiercest fighting he had ever been a part of in hallways, doorways, lobbies, and small rooms.

They had fought valiantly, but the sheer number of Stormtroopers proved too much for the defending forces to handle. One by one they were cut down, whether they were too slow ducking back down into cover, or choosing to sacrifice themselves to buy some time for their comrades. Starkiller tried his hardest to protect them, but there were only so many blaster bolts he could bat away, so many Stormtroopers he could handle by himself.

He remembered the last person that had stood by his side, a young UNSC marine, all of her friends and squadmates dead. They had been fighting in a cramped hallway when two thermal detonators had been hurled at the pair, Starkiller barely noticing them as occupied as he was defending against the near constant barrage of blasterfire.

Selflessly, and without hesitation, she had leapt onto the two grenades, clutching them to her chest. She had undoubtedly saved the Jedi's life at the cost of her own, being completely incinerated by the twin blasts of heat, and Starkiller hadn't even know her name.

He had been constantly retreating since then, and now, here he was.

The Jedi needed a plan, something to even the odds, but there was nothing he could think of -

_Wait, _thought Starkiller.

_What was that?_

He had felt a sharp ping in the Force, almost like someone had tapped him on the shoulder. He focused, ignoring the now increasing banging noises coming from the door, and centered in on the sensation.

It was coming from... inside the tree?

Starkiller snapped his head around, and his eyes came upon a small door. He raced towards it, and it slid open as he got near. He bounded down the hallway, made a left, flew up a flight of stairs, and turned right, the sensation of the Force guiding him, growing stronger all the while.

He found himself outside a final door, and when it opened to reveal a small, circular room, he was astonished to see who was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the floor.

"Master Yoda!? What are you doing here?" asked the Jedi, bewildered.

The green being opened his eyes and cocked his head in Starkiller's direction. "Ahh, hello there."

Starkiller pointed over his shoulder with his thumb, warning, "Master, the Imperials are not far away, they will be here soon."

"Know, I do. Other things to be concerned of, there are."

"What are you doing?" asked Starkiller again.

"Meditating."

Starkiller furrowed his brow in confusion, "Meditating? Master, there's a battle raging across the entire planet! We need you! Yet here you are, just sitting?"

"What you say, aware of I am, yet approach this situation, you and I do differently. Watching, observing, listening, I have been. In our favor, the battle is not going. Valiantly, we are fighting, but slowly being overwhelmed, we are. If we are to emerge victorious, something to turn the tide, we need."

"And how could we do that? Turn the tide?"

"Have in mind, an idea I do."

Starkiller just raised his eyebrow quizically, waiting for Yoda to continue.

"Battle Meditation." said the green creature.

"Battle Meditation? I am not familiar with the concept."

"Familiar, you need not be. Well-versed, in the practice I am, yet never attempted on a scale like this, I have. Need your help, I do."

"My help? What do you need me for?"

"The Force, extremely strong in you, it is." said Yoda. He then began to chuckle. "I am old, Starkiller, not much time, I predict I have left. Not as strong I am in the Force, as I was in my early years. To spread the Force's influence across the planet, by myself, I fear will be too difficult. Need your strength, I do."

Starkiller understood, and nodded. "Okay, I'll help. What do you need me to do?"

The Grand Master gestured to the ground beneath him. "Please, sit. Open yourself to the Force, you must."

He did, crossing his legs in the typical meditation pose. He rested his hand on his knees, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath through his nose.

He focused on the tendrils of Force energy abound all around him, and mentally grasped one, feeling its instant effects. The life essence of the Galaxy flowed into him, and Starkiller welcomed its familiar embrace. He could feel it coursing throughout his body, calming his nerves, replenishing his strength, clearing his mind, and giving him a sense of purpose.

The Jedi could feel the unique Force aura of the Grand Master beside him, drawing in the Force the same as he was, yet at a much faster rate. His presence radiated wisdom, knowledge, and power, and already seemed to be much larger than his own. Starkiller immediately felt a deep sense of respect for the older teacher.

Now that he was open to the Force, Starkiller tried to search for a few individual auras across Kashyyyk.

He first searched for the familiar and comforting aura of Juno Eclpise, who if he remembered the briefings correctly, was stationed on the other side of the planet guarding the UNSC repair platform the _Cradle_. He centered in on her, and felt a number of different emotions. The first was annoyance, probably stemming from the fact that her and her Star Destroyer were stuck on guard duty.

The next, however, was understanding and acceptance. Juno was smart, extremely so, and she knew that Admiral Lasky was just thinking of the safety of her and her crew. He knew, and she did also, that they weren't ready to participate in a large-scale engagement, and could possibly be a liability to the rest of the fleet.

Eclipse also knew that boring as it may be, it was absolutely critical to defend the _Cradle_, seeing as it was the UNSC fleets most important asset, aside from the _Infinity_, of course. The _Cradle_ was the only platform capable of making large scale repairs to the USNC ships, manufacturing their ship-to-ship munitions, and replenishing their supply of heavy vehicles. If the UNSC was going to last in this new galaxy, they would need this ship to do it.

Lastly, Starkiller felt worry. Worry for her ship, worry for the battle, but most of all, worry for him. He sent a wave of calm into her through the Force, and almost instantly could feel her begin to relax, as if she knew it was him, which she most likely did.

Satisfied that she would be okay for the moment, Starkiller tried to find out the whereabouts of Spartan Gabriel Thorne. It took a little searching, but eventually he found him, along with the rest of his squad on a large city some distance away, also happening to be one of the largest fronts on the planet.

Thorne, the same with the rest of his squad, was calm, focused, and determined. Though he could not make out what their objective currently was, he had no doubt that Majestic would be able to accomplish it.

Lastly, more out of curiosity that anything else, Starkiller attempted to single out the Sangheili Arbiter, Thel 'Vadam. Much to his surprise, Starkiller zoned in on him like a homing concussion missile, instantly knowing where he was, on the bridge of the Sangheili Assault Carrier _Shadow of Intent_. The Jedi furrowed his brows, Thel's Force aura was different than before, it was almost as if he could see right into his mind...

_What is that?_

Starkiller almost jumped back in surprise.

_Thel?_

_What? What is happening? Who is this? How do you know my name?_

_This is Starkiller._

… _The Jedi? How are you doing... this?_

_The Force, I would assume._

_This Force allows you to see into my mind? Read my thoughts? _

_I'm not sure, this is the first time I've experienced this as well. It does appear, that however possible, we are able to communicate._

_Telepathy?_

_It appears so._

_Interesting... there is a member species of the Covenant, the Mgalekgolo, that is able to perform the same ability, yet only with their bond brother. But enough of that, why have you 'contacted' me? Where are you?_

_I am in a Wookie Wroshyr tree with Master Yoda, and we are about to attempt something that could help win this battle. We're surrounded by Imperials though, and will need help soon. _

_Help win the battle you say? I certainly hope so, things haven't been going admirably in space. The Alliance Fleet is approaching fifty percent casualties, and the UNSC has lost a few ships, with more damaged than there need to be. I cannot send any help to your location right now however, as leaving my position will compromise the integrity of the line, and I am too far away to deploy dropships. However, Admiral Lasky has a plan to deal with the remaining Imperials vessels, hopefully it will work in conjunction with what you and Master Yoda are planning to do._

"Young one, now is the time." came the voice of the Jedi Grand Master.

Starkiller nodded. _I must go Thel, may the Force be with you. _

He redirected his focus from the Arbiter back to the room he was in now, effectively 'ending the connection.'

As he did that, he felt an almost sort of electrical jolt. Yoda and he had filled the room with such a huge amount of Force energy that his skin was literally tingling with it.

"Focus on me, Starkiller. Lend me your strength, and together, accomplish what needs to be done, we will."

Starkiller took a deep breath, and focused. It wasn't easy, meditating in the ways of the Jedi, yet with time and effort he had steadily grown better at it. At the back of his mind he he could feel his fear and his rage clawing at him for release, whispering seductively of promises granting him all the power he would ever need to defeat the Imperial forces on Kashyyyk, and wherever he fought them.

He ignored it.

He had gone down that road so many times before, and he would no longer.

Slowly and with great effort he slowly sank further and further into a meditative state...yet alone it wasn't enough...and with mounting worry he realized it would never be enough.

_Calm, you must be. Your true strength reveals itself it will when you are passive...at peace._

The words acted as both a blanket and a guide, comforting him yet showing him the path he must take. And so he followed it. Time seemed to lose all meaning, his worries and anxieties of the desperate battle seemed to melt away as no longer relevant. It was invigorating.

_Yes...yes! To grasp the true power of the Force, let go of your worries, you must._

His worries slipped away completely as if they had never had a hold on him. The whisperings of fear and rage, always at the back of his mind vanished like smoke. He was truly one with the Force.

Never before had he been so attuned to the life energy of the galaxy as he was right now. All across Kashyyyk, he could feel the emotions and thoughts of every being, Imperial, Alliance, UNSC, Wookie, all of them. It felt as if he were sharing in their experiences, the basic fear of death, the sadness over fallen comrades, their resolve to accomplish their objectives, and so much more.

He began to reach out to the Force to draw strength and pull that strength into him, then through him and into Yoda, taking only what he needed and nothing more. There was more power than he could possibly fathom. He was a leaf surrounded and engulfed by a never ending river of power that was the Force. A river that pulsed with a kaleidoscope of colors.

It was as he was channeling the power of the Force into Yoda that he began to notice something amiss. That something within the great Jedi Master was not well. Curious he began to probe further and with a sense of growing sadness he suddenly understood.

_Appreciate your sympathy, I do. But necessary, it is not. Mourn me, do not for my time, grows short it does. Twilight is upon me, and soon, Night must fall. Accept this, I do, but not now, not yet. My duty, to pass on my knowledge before the end comes, it is. _

Slowly and with supreme gentleness he felt himself falling away from the bottomless well of power and back into his own body, sitting crossed leg on the floor.

His eyes opened and noted that the door across from him on its last legs and would not hold for long, no doubt the work of Imperial Stormtroopers. Slowly rising to his feet, re-energized and reinvigorated by by the Force, Starkiller drew his lightsabers and with a _snaphiss_ ignited his blades as he moved forward.

"Will you be well, Master Yoda?" He asked as took a defensive stance several feet from the door.

"More than enough you have given me, my friend. My thanks you have." And with those words the old Jedi Master began to glow with power who's effects would be felt across Kashyyyk and beyond...

* * *

**Bridge of the Imperial II-class Star Destroyer **_**Malevolence**_**, Kashyyyk Space**

Standing stoically on the elevated platform, Grand Admiral Osvald Teshik bit his lower lip as he looked out the forward viewport.

Simply put, this 'expedition' to exterminate these unruly rebels had been a disaster so far. Teshik had severely underestimated the first-strike capability of these new rebel ships, and his fleet had paid the price for it.

He was still appalled that these new rebels used _projectile_ weapons, of all things. However, they must have refined them to such a point that had become extremely deadly, especially towards the Imperial ships, whose shields and hulls were designed to protect against laser fire, not these enormous slugs.

What Teshik was more concerned about however, were the ten more alien looking ships, their sleek purple hulls and graceful curves bellying the ridiculous firepower held within. Each one possessed some sort of energy lance that was capable of bisecting his ships into clean pieces from extreme ranges, and a numerous amount of what appeared to be guided plasma weaponry that burned through shields and melted through hull like molten lava.

And don't even get him started on that five kilometer monstrosity that seemed to be the flagship of the rebel fleet. He was sure that if he survived this, which he highly doubted, it would be the source of nightmares for years to come. That ship, with its gargantuan projectile launcher capable of killing even his largest Star Destryers with a single shot, was responsible for almost a third of the Imperial losses. Most of those had come from when it had broke out the Alliance fleet, all but annihilating an entire Imperial task force with a series of hellacious broadsides.

At least some things were going alright, most of the Rebel ships were damaged in some way, and reports from his commanders on the surface indicated that they were gradually beating back their enemies across the planet. Add to that fact that the opposing fleet seemed to be content to sit and wait while his Stormtrooper Corps rampaged across Kashyyyk, and Teshik felt that maybe he could salvage this operation yet.

"Anything new on the scanners?" asked Teshik.

"No sir," an officer replied, "The Rebels are still holding in their same position, just like they have been for the past two hours."

Teshik nodded. If they wanted to wait to engage, he was just fine with that, as it gave his ground forces that much more time.

Little did the Imperial Grand Admiral know however, was that for the past few hours the UNSC stealth corvette _Port Stanley_ had been laying a plethora of stealthed nuclear mines all throughout his formation, right under his nose.

The Imperial Grand Admiral was looking out the viewport into the inky blackness of space when the mines detonated, the pure whiteness of the explosion blinding him. That's when the shockwave hit, sending him crashing to the deck below, the impact knocking the wind out of him.

As he rapidly blinked to try to regain his vision, and struggle to catch his breath, Teshik's hearing was assaulted by a cacophony of noises.

Warning alarms screamed their shrill messages, crewmembers groaned in pain or confusion, and yelled curses rebounded throughout the bridge.

Teshik pushed himself off the ground, his vision slowly returning, and yelled "Status report! What happened!"

"Shields are down, both generators are blown!"

"Hull breaches on multiple levels are venting atmosphere!"

"Injuries reported on almost every deck!"

"Ship-wide comms have been shorted out, I can't reach anyone!"

"Our TIE squadrons aren't responding!"

"Sensors are reading a number of our ships destroyed, and a huge amount of... radiation?"

"Radiation?" questioned Teshik, "The same kind associated with nuclear weapons?"

"Yessir."

Teshik was appalled. Nuclear weapons had all but disappeared millennia ago, considered barbaric, crude, and uncontrollable. The last time they had been used was almost four thousand years ago by the Mandalorians, the result being the complete destruction of the planet surface.

"Open the viewport shields!" he yelled, and the metal plates that had extended to protect the bridge quickly retracted.

Teshik gazed down the length of his Star Destroyer, and saw dozens of tiny fires and debris craters dotting the hull.

Something caught his attention, and he turned his head to see a _Victory_ Star Destroyer lazily float not five hundred meters from his bow, the entire ship melting before his very eyes. Globs of molten metal dipped off of the vessel like water, forming perfect spheres in the zero gravity.

A shout from the sensor officer brought him out of his stupor.

"Admiral, the Rebel fleet is advancing!

"Prepare to -"

It was then when it happened. As Yoda's Battle Meditation started to take full effect, bringing courage, determination, will, decisiveness, and hope to the UNSC, Alliance, and Separatist forces, the exact opposite happened to the Imperials.

A wave of apprehension, hesitance, cowardice, and above all else, fear, swept across the bridge of the _Malevolence_, so thick that one could taste it in the back of their mouth.

"Prepare to what Admiral!" shouted a scared officer, eyes wide, a new found fear dripping though his voice.

Teshik had never just wanted to run away more than he did now in his entire life, this was a fear unparallelled to anything he had ever experienced.

"Prepare - prepare to retreat! Get us out of the system!"

"Sound the retreat! Turn us about and engage the hyperdrive!"

It was then when things got even worse.

"Admiral! Those new Rebel ships are on our left flank!"

"How the hell did they get there so fast! All batteries engage!"

"There's too many, there's no way we can hold out!"

All across the fleet, the inactivity of the Imperial crews would cost them their lives, as the UNSC and Separatists ships tore into them with MAC rounds and plasma torpedoes, encountering little to no return fire. Shields already stripped and hulls weakened from the surprise nuclear detonations, the ship-to-ship weaponry blasted craters, sheared off huge hull sections, and melted through armor plate like paper. The Alliance fleet added to the firepower once they came into range, their red-hued turbolasers boiling away decks and blackening metal.

It became too much to handle for Teshik. "ABANDON YOUR POSTS! GET OFF THE SHIP!" he yelled at the culmination of his panic.

The bridge crew went into a frenzy, yelling and tripping over their own feet as they tried to get to the escape pods, the deck shuddering all the while from weapons and debris impacts.

"Get out of the way!" shouted Teshik as he shoved a young lieutenant out of his path.

He was the first one to the escape pod bay, and acting on pure survival instincts, all but dove into a pod, activating the launching mechanisms.

With a burst of rocket energy, the small pod shot forward away from the doomed Star Destroyer, but almost instantly it glanced off of a piece of floating metal.

The impact was enough to cause Teshik, who was not strapped in, to go flying, his head impacting the side of the pod and causing his world to go black...

* * *

The door burst open, and Starkiller immediately hurled one of his lightsabers through the opening, vivisecting a few foolish Stormtroopers standing in the way. He extended his other hand, and as soon as he saw the characteristic bleach-white armor in the doorway, he sent a colossal torrent of Force lightning into the poor man, the ridiculous voltage detonating the mans internal organs. The bolt wasn't done yet however, as it chained and continued into the bodies of every other Stormtrooper outside the door as well.

His first lightsaber returned to his hand, and Starkiller waited a few seconds, hearing nothing but silence.

The Jedi looked over to Master Yoda, who was on his side, eyes closed, breathing slowly. Starkiller didn't have to use the Force to tell that he was in a healing trance, and a deep one at that. Performing the Battle Meditation must have taken more out of the Grand Master than Starkiller had previously thought.

Deactivating the lightsaber in his left hand and clipping it to his belt, Starkiller walked over to Yoda and picked him up, much like a father would a small child.

He made his way out the door, barely giving heed to the number of smoking Stormtroopers lying prone on the floor.

Starkiller reached out in the Force, and withing seconds zoned in on who he was searching for.

_Thel? It's Starkiller. I need an extraction, or some reinforcements. Both would be nice actually._

_Fear not Jedi, the fleet is making best speed towards Kashyyyk as of right now. Lasky's plan worked, we were able to destroy the rest of the Imperial ship to the last. Whatever you and Master Yoda did, it seemed to have an enormous effect on the humans. Lasky actually told me that he had never felt so invigorated, so confident in his decisions. _

Starkiller glanced at Yoda, who he had placed over his shoulder. _Yes, but I hope that it did not come at too heavy a price. Do you know where I am?_

_Yes. Do not ask me how, I just do. Maybe another benefit of our connection perhaps? Either way, we will be there shortly. I must go, the remaining Imperial Acclamators planetside are moving to engage us. _

Starkiller nodded, and withdrew back to his present surroundings. Jogging now, he rounded a few corners and traveled down a few hallways.

Something was nagging at him in the back of his head however. He had been jogging through the tree for a couple of minutes now, but had neither seen, heard, nor sensed another Imperial, Stormtrooper or otherwise.

It wasn't right, they had arrived here in such force moments ago, but now they were all gone. Starkiller didn't like the implications.

He made his way through a door, and found himself on one side of a large, flat bridge, about sixty meters long and twenty wide.

Starkiller was immediately apprehensive of the structure, but knew it was the only way to get across the other side unless he wanted to significantly backtrack.

The Jedi cautiously began to cross, and made it about halfway when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, goosebumps forming all over his skin.

He jumped back ten meters, assisted by the Force, and where he was just standing dropped ten black-robed figures, hoods obscuring their faces.

Starkiller snarled. _Sith Acolytes, _he thought, and they outnumbered him greatly.

They all withdrew and activated lightsabers, each one colored the typical blood-red.

One of them said in a gravelly voice, "For far too long you escaped our grasps, Starkiller. Today, you and your little friend, will die."

Starkiller felt something in the Force, and smirked once he determined what it was.

Behind him, four Sangheili drop pods came crashing through the canopy, impacted with a large thud and causing the bridge to tremble before their feet.

The fronts burst open, and four figures leapt out of the shock-absorbing gel onto the bridge, strange alien rifles leveled outwards.

Starkiller turned his head and saw none other than Thel 'Vadam, R'tas 'Vadum, and two other Sangheili encased in gleaming silver-gray armor.

"It appears we arrived just in time." commented Thel. "N'tho, Usze, get the Master to safety."

The two silver-clad Elites rushed forwards, and one took Master Yoda off of Starkiller's shoudler. Then the pair activated what appeared to be jetpacks integrated into the backs of their armor, and flew off through the canopy, leaving Thel, R'tas, and Starkiller to face the Acolytes.

The Arbiter clasped his plasma rifles to his belt and withdrew his two energy sword hilts, R'tas doing the same, activating the weighty blades with a series of _snap-hisses_.

"Ah, it has been too long since I have had proper challenge of swordsmanship, remarked R'tas, rolling his shoulders.

Thel looked at his friend amusingly. "Are our sparring sessions not enough of a 'proper challenge?"

"It's only a challenge if you are allowed to sever limbs." replied R'tas, to which Thel chuckled.

"We are outnumbered three to one, my friend." observed the Arbiter.

"Then maybe it shall be a fair fight." commented R'tas, taking a fighting stance.

Activated his second lightsaber, Starkiller said, "It will be an honor to fight alongside such talented warriors."

"The honor is all ours." said Thel. "Let's make this quick, shall we?"

The two sides rushed towards each other.

* * *

**So how was it? Good? Bad? The best you've ever read? Let me know your thoughts, inputs, or suggestions in the reviews!**

**Now time for the request. If there are any lovers of this story who are also talented in the ways of art, (For I am godawful) would you be willing to make a sort of cover piece for this story? Something that I could replace the ONI story logo? Because I think that would be just awesome. If so, PM me and we'll talk.**

**Now for the question. After I wrap of New Horizons and Prelude to Eternity (which won't be for a while, trust me) I have been thinking of other fanfics to write. I wanted to either try my hand at a Red Dead Redemption story, or maybe... a Skyrim/Lord of the Rings crossover? Let me know what you think about those.**

**Tune in next chapter for the conclusion of the Second Battle of Kashyyyk!**

**Don't forget to review, and thanks for reading!**


	17. Chapter 17: Second Battle for Kashyyyk

**Authors Note: Once again, I severely apologize for the update time, I'm not going to bore you with details, but I've been going through kind of a rough patch in my life, not being helped at all by having mononucleosis, and don't have a lot of time to write. **

**That being said, here is the conclusion to the Battle of Kashyyyk.**

**Tell me what you think of the chapter in the reviews.**

**Enjoy**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but all original content is mine. **

* * *

**Chapter 17: Second Battle of Kashyyyk**

**Kashyyyk, Wroshyr Tree**

Starkiller immediately flung one his lightsabers at the feet of a quickly approaching acolyte, the hooded figure jumping up to avoid it, just as the Jedi had planned. With a quick exertion of the Force and an outstretched hand, Starkiller sent the acolyte flying backwards, tumbling through the air all the way back to the opposite side of the bridge.

The two sides now in striking distance, Starkiller swung a mighty overhanded blow with his recently-returned right saber at a Sith, which was quickly sidestepped to the Jedi's left. Prepared for this however, with his right hand he stabbed outwards at his opponent, Starkiller's strike being barely batted away in time.

The same could not be said for Starkiller's follow up strike with his left lightsaber, a horizontal sweeping strike aimed at his enemy's chest. The Sith died with a look of horror etched on his face as his body was cut into halves.

The back of Starkiller's neck started to tingle, and he leapt backwards several meters, avoiding a downward slash from the side that would have severed his arm.

As another Sith sprinted towards him the Jedi reached out and grasped him in the Force, pulling the acolyte towards him suddenly.

He jumped over the acolyte and his hasty swing, and while in the air, twirled so that his head was facing down, and with surgical precision decapitated the Sith stumbling

As he landed he took stock of the situation for a brief second, time seemingly slowing before his eyes.

There were still three acolytes rushing towards him in a sort of triangle formation, with the tip facing him. The frontmost had just began to leave the ground, no doubt to try and perform some aerial strike. The acolyte that he had Force pushed to the other end of the bridge was just now getting up, and Starkiller could sense the extreme anger directed towards him even at this distance.

To his left Thel and R'tas were dueling the other four acolytes, and needless to say, it was not going well for the Sith. Thel was in the process of disarming a Sith the same way he had done when he had sparred with Starkiller, catching his enemy's blade between the tines of his own and twisting to a side. The look of fear that began to slowly dawn across the Sith's face was comical, as his main mean of offense was taken away.

R'tas, blocking a strike from an acolyte with his left sword, was cleaving through the knee joints of another with his right swords, a huge grin, or what Starkiller thought was a grin, showing on his four-mandibled jaw.

Starkiller snapped back to the present, reached out with his hand, and grasped though the Force the airborne Sith coming towards him. With a sweeping motion downwards, the Jedi brought him crashing down into the acolyte on the right, taking them out of the fight for a few brief seconds.

The remaining Sith brought his blood red lightsaber down in a mighty overhead chop, which Starkiller countered by crossing his two blades in an X-shape and catching the strike in the middle. Sabers locked, the Jedi brought up his foot and delivered a powerful kick right to his enemies groin area, causing him to grunt and flinch with pain.

Starkiller used the situation to his advantage, throwing the Sith's blade to the right, making a quick but deep slash across his chest, then a thrust straight into his heart.

Even before the dead body hit the floor, Starkiller had already recovered to a defensive stance as the two acolytes who he had tripped up were now back within striking distance.

The Force flowed into Starkiller like an invigorating wave of pristine water, and he allowed to flow into every corner of his body, to take control, to guide him as he surrendered to its grasp.

The two Sith fell upon the lone Jedi like a pair of ravished Nexu, their order's philosopher of anger and hatred evident through their violent and powerful strikes.

Starkiller was not worried however, as he was as calm as he would be eating dinner with Juno outside on a starry night. With every blow the Sith delivered, his sabers were there. With every Force strike that was attempted, he either blocked it with his own, or simply absorbed it into himself, then redirected it back.

Starkiller knew the two acolytes were getting frustrated, their technique was getting sloppy, and it was just a matter of time until one of them made a fatal mistake.

Then, something interesting happened.

With no warning whatsoever, a Sangheili Plasma sword buried itself up to this hilt in the chest of one of the acolytes Starkiller was dueling, the sheer force of the throw, combined with the weight of the blade, actually pinning the poor man to one of the supporting poles on the bridge they were on.

The other acolyte, obviously not prepared for the sudden removal of his comrade, stumbled off-balance slightly, just what Starkiller was waiting for. He stepped into the Sith, severed his arms at the shoulders with a double overhand strike, then did the same for his head.

As the smoking corpse crumpled to the floor, the bridge was plunged into silence.

Starkiller turned to Thel and R'tas, each standing tall and proud, the Sangheili Arbiter missing one of his energy swords. At their feet lay the four Sith acolytes sent to duel them, each one in various states of death and dismemberment. The most gruesome sight was that of one particularly unlucky acolyte whose entire lower chest cavity had been ripped open, causing the intestines and other organs within to spill out onto the floor. Starkiller noticed how R'tas's right gauntlet was dripping with blood, and he was instantly grateful that the Sangheili warriors were on his side.

As Thel walked over to retrieve his other sword, R'tas and Starkiller deactivated theirs, hooking them onto their belts.

"I've seen hatchlings back at 'Vadum keep who have better swordsmanship than these fools did." snorted R'tas.

"Indeed." agreed Thel as he pulled out his embedded energy sword, the now dead Sith thudding to the ground.

The Sangheili Arbiter looked to Starkiller. "You moved as if you were the wind itself in that fight, your grace and purpose bellying your deadliness. I continue to be amazed at the dexterity shown by someone so young."

"Thank you Arbiter, I am humbled by your words." replied Starkiller. "Now, how do we get out of here?"

R'tas stepped forwards. "I have just gotten off the BattleNet with the _Shadow of Intent_, her sensors are reporting that this complex of Wroshyr trees we are in are surrounding by the remaining Imperial forces left on Kashyyyk. However, orbital fire support is not an option, the risk of damage to the trees is too great. There are reports of the Jedi General Rahm Kota assembling a combined-arms force to retake the trees and eliminate the Imperial presence once and for all."

Starkiller nodded. "What of Master Yoda?"

"The Master is safe, my Special Operations warriors have taken him deep into the tree, and our awaiting our word to regroup." said R'tas.

"I passed a hangar not to long ago, could we get extraction there?" questioned Starkiller.

"Yes. Contact your men R'tas, and tell them to meet us there, I will contact the Intent and have them dispatch a Phantom to take Yoda back to the Infinity." said Thel. "We, however, still have a battle to finish."

* * *

**Pelican Dropship F-223 Kashyyyk**

"Jesus man, could you shut that 20th century bullcrap off?" yelled Paul DeMarco, leader of Fireteam Majestic, as he banged on the door that led to the cockpit of the Pelican.

Over the intercomm the pilot cackled. "C'mon, you guys never heard of CCR? This song's a classic!"

DeMarco sighed heavily, and Thorn smiled behind his visor. He rested his head against the troop compartment chairs and decided to just listen to the out-of-style music as he contemplated their latest objective.

_Some folks are born to wave the flag, Ooh, they're red, white and blue. And when the band plays "Hail to the chief", Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord,_

After completing a number of ops in Alpha City, ranging from position defense, line breakthoughs, elimination of key personnel, escort missions, resource destruction, reconnaissance, and other such things, Majestic had been put on standby for a brief period of rest.

_It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, son. It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no, Yeah!_

After the Imperial fleet had been destroyed in orbit, a number of UNSC and Separatist vessels had arrived in-atmosphere to provide devastating fire support, quickly eliminating a large portion of the Imperial ground forces. The ten _Acclamator_ cruisers who had deployed the Imperial army had also been destroyed, but Thorne had head some reports that three had managed to escape the gravity well and entered into hyperspace.

_Some folks are born silver spoon in hand, Lord, don't they help themselves, oh. But when the taxman comes to the door, Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes,_

With their only means of escape gone, the remaining Imperial troops had decided to dig in around a complex of Wookie Worshyr trees to make their last stand. What had piqued Thorne's curiosity though, was that the closest high-ranking officer in the area was the Jedi General Rahm Kota, and he had been given the go-ahead by the UNSC and Alliance commanders to lead the assault on the Imperial position.

_It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no millionaire's son, no. It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no_.

So the order had been given, and now Majestic found themselves in a Pelican barreling full speed towards the Imperial, along with thousands of other troops.

"Jesus, turn it off already!" DeMarco all but shouted, referring to the near half-millennia old music blaring though the speakers.

DeMarco's request only caused the pilot to cackle madly. "I can put on some Aerosmith if you'd like – shit, AA fire incoming!"

Thorne grasped his harness even tighter as the Pelican swerved left and right to try to avoid the deadly flak.

Suddenly, there was a loud thud, and Thorne was jolted in his seat.

"What the hell was that?" asked the Spartan warily.

"Uhh, yeah, our left side engines just got taken out. Damn, that AA gunner was good. Hang on, gonna be a rough landing!" yelled the pilot, the strain of trying to keep the aircraft together bleeding though his voice like an open wound.

Over the emergency channel Thorne could hear their pilot make his distress call.

"MaydayMaydayMayday! This is Pelican F-223 we are going down! Repeat, we are going down! Estimated grid coordinates of impact: 4QFJ123678! Be advised, Majestic-class payload embarked! MaydayMaydayMayday!"

Thorne's mind raced, and with a few lightning-fast blinks he brought up the grid map of the surrounding area, and highlighted their estimates impact zone. _Damn_, he thought. They were going to crash a couple hundred meters behind the established Imperial line, assuming they didn't get blown up in the meantime of course.

The Pelican jolted once more as it got hit again, the impact causing the aircraft to flip over on its back.

With a mighty crash of overwhelming sound and vibration, the bird burrowed into the ground, the ridiculous force snapping safety harnesses and sending Spartans flying.

As Thorne's world went black, all he could hear was that strange music still playing over the intercomm...

_It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate one, no no no, It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate son, no no no..._

...Thorne's eyes snapped open as he came too again. His mission clock read only seven seconds after he had last checked it, which was right before the crash.

He was upside-down, his arms hanging freely. Thorne was surprised to feel that his own safety harness was still intact, as he saw the other members of his team's harnesses snap. He quickly reached down and released the clasps then fell to the floor in a heap. _No, the ceiling,_ he remembered.

He flicked his headlamps on and looked around the dust-covered cabin. DeMarco and Madsen were starting to pick themselves off the 'ground', Hoya was lying there motionless, and Tedra was nowhere to be found.

"Majestic, sitrep." called DeMarco groggily.  
"Madsen here, I'm alright, head hurts like a bitch though."

"Thorne is good."

"Hoya?"

"Hoya's vitals say he's out cold."

"Give him a stimpack, see if that wakes him up."

"What about the pilot?"

Thorne checked the vitals of their pilot, only to find that they had flat-lined.

"Dead."

"Tedra? Where are you?" asked DeMarco.

There was a grunt over the comm channel, then Tedra, obviously in pain, said "I'm under a sheet of metal near the crew compartment... I'm okay, but we may have a bit of a problem..."

Thorne and Madsen husteld over to her and lifted the metal piece off of her, throwing it aside. Meanwhile, DeMarco produced a large needle and jammed it into on of the specially designed receptacles on Hoya's armor.

DeMarco then gathered with Thorne and Madsen around Tedra, and only then could see the extent of her 'problem.'

"Shit..." muttered Madsen.

A large piece of shrapnel, roughly the same size as a DMR, had embedded itself into Tedra's right arm just below the shoulder, pinning it to the wall behind her. Crimson colored blood was steadily dripping out of the wound and pooling on the floor.

Thorne was on it instantly, withdrawing a can of biofoam from one of his armor compartments and applying it all around the edges of the wound.

"How bad does it hurt?" asked Thorne concerned.

"On a scale of one to ten, about a seven"

Thorne frowned, That's not good...

"DeMarco? The Imperials?" questioned Madsen a little urgently.

"Right. If they aren't already outside, they will be soon. Weapons check."

Thorne reached to his back and withdrew his Assault Rifle, rapidly going over it and confirming it was ready for action.

DeMarco did the same for his Battle Rifle, while Madsen was less fortunate, finding that the barrel of his sniper rifle was cracked, rendering it useless.

"Stack up, lets find out if the bay door still works. First things first, we're going to establish a perimeter, then radio in for some support." ordered DeMarco.

"What about Hoya?" asked Thorne.

"Stimpack doesn't look like its doing anything, he's still out."

"Tedra?"

"I'll take care of him." she said, drawing her pistol with her left hand.

DeMarco nodded. "Thorne?"

He slammed the button to open the bay door, and after a few horrendous sounding mechanical whirs, it began to open.

_Plus one for UNSC Engineering_... Thorne thought.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of Thorne's neck stood on end. In his mind a gentle whisper echoed one word which none the less commanded his attention. Left.

The three Spartans burst out of the opening into the debris-filled trench that their crashing Pelican had left in its wake.

Thorne immediately yelled, "Left! Look to the left!"

He raised his Assault Rifle over the lip of the trench, and not a hundred and fifty meters downrange was an approaching platoon size element of forty whitewashed Stormtroopers.

"Open fire!" yelled DeMarco.

Thorne slammed into the lip of the trench and unloaded his magazine into the approaching mass of Stormtrooper in a volley of accurate bursts. Four of his targets fell in half as many seconds, while DeMarco and Madsen's Battle Rifle and pistol shots took out the rest.

Thorn glanced over his shoulder behind him, only to see that even more Stormtroopers were quickly approaching, along with a platoon of five AT-ST walkers.

The Spartan relocated himself, reloaded, and fired a few burst, serving no more than a distraction at this range. Needless to say, if they didn't get either support or an evac soon, the results wouldn't be pretty.

Thinking along the same lines Thorne was, DeMarco joined Thorne in firing at the distant Imperials and opened a channel to command.

"Command! This is Majestic lead! Do you read?!"

The calm, collected voice of the Infinity AI Roland came through the comm in response. "Majestic, we've got you on scanners. Even I'm surprised that you all survived that crash. Help's coming your way, whats your situation?

"Hoya's out cold, Grant needs a medevac pretty badly, a piece of shrapnel has her pinned by the arm to the deck of the Pelican. Thorne, Madsen and I have minor injuries but are fine at the moment. I'll be honest, we could definitely use some more firepower."

"Roger that, ordnance is being sent your way. General Kota is personally leading a spearhead through the Imperial lines to your position to rescue you as we speak."

"Well you better tell him to get here soon, or there won't be anybody left to rescue. Majestic out."

Thorne felt a tingle of warning, a sense of foreboding and dread, centered on Madsen. Without stopping to analyze what he was feeling or truly understanding what he was doing, he was in motion. Acting on the the new instincts given to him by the Force Thorne dove toward Madsen and knocked him to the ground just as a hail of heavy laser fire flew through where he stood and impacted the side of the trench in an explosion of energy and dirt.

An Imperial heavy weapons squad from the Imperial platoon still advancing on them had managed to set up an E-WEB while the Spartans attention had been focused to the advancing AT-ST's and infantry squads to their rear. Risking a glance Thorne had to hurry and duck as a hellacious fusillade of fire forced him down behind cover.

"Imperial E-Web!" DeMarco shouted before he too hit the dirt and just barely missed by a staccato of enemy fire. "We're pinned down!"

"Hey ah, Thorne, I now we're buds and all, ya know? But...ahh we're not _that _close. So please get off me." Madsen snickered.

Thorne rolled off him and assumed a kneeling position between DeMarco and Madsen.

"And one other thing. Thanks for the save bro."

Thorn nodded."Anytime."

"If you two are done getting your bromance on, we got a situation here. I am officially out of ideas and out-" Demarco sprang up just enough to fire off 3 rounds from his M6 pistol. Thorne noted 3 Imperials fall to perfectly placed headshots. Then he fell back behind cover as the E-Web gunner tried to mow down the Spartan. "– and I am now completely out of ammo!"

Madsen paused for a long second before shrugging, "I got nothing."

Thorne caught something out of the corner of his eye, and looked upwards to the sky. He saw a grouping of six rapidly falling objects making their flaming approach through the atmosphere.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl for Thone as a feeling of certainty came over him. He just knew what he had to do. He did not know where the idea had come from but he was certain of the course of action to take. Slowly he stood to his full height and began tapping away at his gauntlet, his attention fully focused on the descending balls of fire, heedless of the enemy fire all around him. He knew the situation was not as desperate as they had believed. He knew they would get out of this. He believed it with every fiber of his being...and more.

Since he had first felt the Force back on the Infinity mere hours before he was slowly beginning to understand that it had been guiding him. The results of listening to the Force spoke for themselves. And Thorne was beginning to understand that if he placed his trust in the Force, the Force would give him the means to achieve the unachievable.

He just had to place his trust in the Force.

Such a concept was not an easy one to grasp for a Spartan. Spartans were trained to place their trust in their training, their equipment, and in one another. To put ones trust in some mystical energy feild you could not see, taste or smell...required a leap a faith most Spartans were not prepared to make.

Gabriel Thorne was not just any Spartan.

Within seconds he had tapped into the NAVCOMs of the descending pods and instantly inputted a new set of coordinates.

He had just finished when DeMarco violently yanked him back down.

"What the hell are you doing, Thorne?!" DeMarco shouted.

"Watch." Thorne responded with a nod toward the Imperial E-WEB and the Imperial Platoon centered around it.

Slowly Demarco and Madsen turned from Thorne to the Imperial E-WEB and the Imperial Platoon hunkered down around it, and they saw a sight they would never forget.

The six drop pods slammed into ground with titanic force. The shock and pressure waves instantly flattened the Imperial E-WEB and killed more than half of the Imperial platoon outright. The rest were maimed or seriously wounded and completely disorientated; incapable of mounting any form of coherent defense.

DeMarco reeled back in shock, "Did you just...did you just take out an Imperial platoon...with an ordinance drop?!"

Madsen, equally as stunned turned to Thorne, "Did the great beyond send you a gift card?"

An explosion to their rear broke the surreal moment. And the Trio turned to see the advancing AT-ST's and Imperial Squad far closer than they would have liked.

"Thorne!" yelled DeMarco.

"On it!" Thorne secured his rifle on his back and crouch-ran towards the open pods. Madsen right behind him.

Wait a second, thought Thorne as he saw the smooth, graceful, utilitarian lines of the equipment he was approaching. Promethean weapons?

The first pod he reached contained a Binary Rifle, an extremely powerful sniper rifle.

"Madsen!" Thorne called, heaving the Promethean weapon through the air at his teammate.

Madsen caught it effortlessly, and surprisingly exclaimed, "A Binary Rifle? Has Christmas come early or what?"

Thorn then threw the Majestic sniper some ammo, and Madsen started happily firing away.

"Thorne, I need you back here now!" cried DeMarco urgently.

The Spartan replaced his Assault rifle with a burst-firing Light Rifle, then quickly gathered up the rest of the supplies, a second Light Rifle, a Suppressor, a bandolier of Pulse Grenades, and probably most importantly, an Incineration Cannon.

He rushed back to DeMarco on the right side of the trench, dumping his weapons at their feet.

DeMarco ducked back down below the lip of the trench, a flurry of ruby red blasterbolts passing through the space he just was. He threw his Battle Rifle to the side, out of ammo, but quickly picked up a Light Rifle at his feet. He paused, however, when he saw the unmistakable bulk of the Incineration cannon.

DeMarco let out a whistle, the said mostly to himself, "Don't mind if I do."

"Alright Majestic, lets show these Imperial bastards what Spartans are made of."

As it turned out, the Promethean weapons were as much of a game changer as the three active members of Majestic could have hoped for. Imperial Stormtroopers were shocked into a standstill upon seeing their squadmates disintegrate into nothing before their very eyes, courtesy of the Binary Rifle. Single shots from the Light Rifle removed entire chunks of bodies in neat patterns, the Stormtroopers plastoid armor doing nearly nothing to stop the super-accelerated hard light. Meanwhile, the four-pronged projectiles coming from the Incineration Cannon impacted AT-ST's with devastating results, blowing off legs and heads with ease in spectacular explosions.

It wouldn't be enough, however, there were simply to many Imperials advancing on their position for three Spartans to handle alone.

"Bad news, I've got 2-M tanks advancing on our left side!" yelled Madsen over the cacophony of combat.

It was then when Thorne saw a number of familiar shapes in the sky. "Look! Pelicans!"

DeMarco and Madsen looked along with him, and sure enough saw the unmistakable figures of six dropships.

As they got closer Thorne could see that under four of the Pelicans were underslung Scorpion tanks, while the other two were specialized gunship models.

The gunships roared in first, pelting the enemy-held ground with a barrage of ANVIL missiles, cannon rounds, and machine gun fire. Smoke and flames rose into the air as those Imperials caught in the initial bursts met their terrible fate. A few AT-ST's and 2-M tanks tried to take some potshots at the gunships, but they knew they would lose this fight without dedicated anti-air support. The Imperials started to retreat, no doubt calling what AT-AT's they had left forwards.

Meanwhile, the other four Pelicans dropped off their tanks around Majestic's downed Pelican, then landed to disgorge twelve combat-ready marines each. The UNSC forces quickly formed a perimeter, and the deep thunder of the Scorpion main cannons was heard as the tanks tried to snipe the retreating Imperial vehicles.

Then, much to Thorne's surprise, out of the back of one of the Pelican's jumped General Rahm Kota, clad in graceful gray armor plates and a short, practical combat robe.

He hopped into the trench and strode towards DeMarco purposely.

"General Kota." ackowledged DeMarco respectfully.

"Spartan." he said back. "Where are your injured soldiers?"

"The two are in the back of the Pelican."

Kota hurried in, and upon seeing Tedra's arm let out a low whistle.

"I know sir, it's in pretty deep." remarked Grant weakly.

"We don't have the equipment to remove it right now, but we need to get you out of here. Hold still." Kota said softly.

He unclipped his lightsaber from his belt, and with a snap-hiss the emerald green blade sprung to life, bathing the interior compartment with light.

With a quick, precise slash, Kota's saber seared through the metal piece trapping her to the wall behind Grant's shoulder. She instinctively lurched forwards with a grunt of pain, and Kota put a steadying hand on her shoulder.

"We have to go, quickly. Put your arm around my shoulder."

The General bent down so that Grant could put her functioning left arm around Kota's shoulders, and with a mighty heave the two got to their feet.

As the pair began to walk outside, Kota extended a hand towards the prone figure of Hoya. He began to levitate and follow behind the Jedi General, the unconscious Spartan's long arms hanging down limp.

As they got outside, Kota yelled, "Alright, pack it up! Let's get moving!"

The Marines hurried to board they're Pelicans, while one lingered behind for Kota and Majestic.

"Sir, what about the Imperials?" asked Madsen.

"We're pulling back so we can perform a saturation strike of the area. Shortswords, Y-wings, artillery, you name it. Then we'll send in the clean-up teams to deal with the Imperials that were either too close or are in the Worshyr trees to be targeted by the strike."

"Will we be a part of that clean-up team?" asked DeMarco.

"No, I'm sending your team back to _Infinity_, you've done enough for us already."

The group boarded their Pelican and moved to their seats. A pair of Navy corpsman moved towards Grant and Hoya, one ushering Grant into a seat while the other strapped Hoya to the deck and produced a medical scanner.

Their Pelican spun around, and using its magnetic clamps picked up the Scorpion is had dropped off. It then sped off away from the strike zone, back to allied lines.

Thorne turned his head to look out of the open door of the Pelican, just in time to watch the fireworks.

UNSC Shortswords dropped fiery lines of napalm, the sticky gel burning at thousands of degrees, incinerating or melting anything that it touched.

Y-wings let loose their proton bomb loads, the electrical blue spheres atomizing their targets.

Artillery shells and missiles blanketed the field, leaving behind the blossoms of their orange-yellow explosions, pockmarking the ground with craters.

When the smoke cleared, all that Thorne could see from this altitude were the charred husks and pieces of burnt-out or exploded vehicles, and the white specks strewn about everywhere representing the bodies of dead Stormtroopers.

The bay door began to close shut, and Thorne caught a glimpse of about twenty or so Pelicans racing towards the impact zone, no doubt the clean-up teams. The door slid shut, and the Spartan leaned his head back against the wall of the Pelican.

"So that's it then. Those were the last of the Imperials. The battle's over. We won." Thorne said quietly.

Kota looked at him with his strangely... gray... eyes "Yes. It appears that is so." The General looked back towards the deck below. "There were, however, threeAcclamator cruisers who managed to escape from the ground. They jumped into hyperspace before we could destroy them, yet one is heavily damaged, and the other two aren't in great condition either. We don't know where they went, but they haven't showed back up here yet, so that's good."

The corpsman working on Hoya looked towards Majestic leader DeMarco.

"How is he?" asked the Spartan.

"He's got a pretty severe concussion, and his left femur has some cracks running down the shaft. He'll be fine in a week or so." she said.

"What about Grant?" questioned DeMarco, pointing towards the other corpsman.

He sighed. "I gave her some sedatives, she's unconscious right now, and I've stopped the bleeding completely. You'll know more once they operate on Infinity and get this damn shrapnel out."

"What about her arm?" asked Madsen.

The corpsman just looked down dejectedly and shrugged his shoulders in a 'I don't know manner'.

The rest of the trip to Infinity was carried out in silence.

The battle might have been over, but sacrifices had definitely been made.

* * *

**Kashyyyk Space, UNSC **_**Infinity**_

Like she had done so many times before in her time as an ONI officer, Serin Osman wiped blank her face of any and all emotion, then pushed the button to open the door in front of her. She walked into a small, dark room, whose only notable features consisted of a stark metal chair and a bright overhead light.

Unless you counted the man handcuffed to the metal chair, which in turn was bolted to the deck. Osman walked up to the him, whose chin was dipped to his chest in unconsciousness.

"Wake up." she said sternly, slapping him across the face, hard.

The man, brought back to reality so suddenly, gasped and coughed, squinting and rapidly blinking his eyes against the bright light. He tried to move his arms, only to find them restrained by the wrists to the metal armrests. Upon discovering this, he decided to look around and spotted Osman, who was now leaning on the wall opposite him, arms crossed against her chest.

"Where am I? Who are you? Release me at once!" he yelled.

Osman chuckled. "Who I am and where you are is not important at the moment. However, who you are is important, Grand Admiral Osvald Teshik."

Teshik narrowed his eyes at Osman. "How do you know my name?"

"Oh I know all about you Osvald. Can I call you Osvald?" said Osman a little playfully.

"Let. Me. Go." stated the Admiral.

Osman motioned to his handcuffs. "You forget the situation you are in. You will be released only if you provide me with the information I know you withhold."

"You must be working with the Rebels. I'll never give you anything you scum!" yelled Teshik defiantly.

Osman frowned then said sternly, "It would be in your best interest to cooperate."

Teshik snorted. "What, are you going to torture me?"

"If it comes to that, yes. But in reality, I won't even need to touch you." Osman said slyly. "Bring him in."

The door to the cell slid open, and two armed marines brought forwards another man, shackled around the feet and wrists, blindfolded and gagged, his Imperial Navy uniform ripped and torn. The Marines pushed him into the room, the man stumbled, then fell to the floor on his knees. The Marines left, and the door hissed shut again, leaving them alone once more.

There was silence for a moment, only punctuated by the heavy wheezes and coughs of the chained man on the floor.

"Do you know who this is Teshik?" asked Osman.

The Admiral didn't answer her, instead just looking at the other man with a steely expression.

"Don't lie to me Teshik, you won't like the results."

Still, silence.

"Alright then, I guess I'll just have to tell you." Osman began circling Teshik, her shoes making slow, steady raps on the metal deck.

"This, is Galvin Chanden, Captain of the Imperial II-class Star Destroyer _Malevolence_. You must know him, after all, he's commanded your flagship for what, ten? Twelve years? Served with merit, always faithful, and extremely loyal to both his Admiral and Empire he serves. Men like him are hard to find, such a shame..."

In one quick, smooth movement, Osman drew her sidearm and fired, putting the round right through the skull of Chanden. The former Imperial Captain slumped to the floor dead, bits of bone, blood, and brain matter splattered on the wall and floor next to him.

The acting ONI head rushed behind Teshik and bent down to whisper in his ear, the smell of smoke, cordite, blood, and gray matter hanging heavy in the air.

"Look at him." Osman ordered.

When Teshik turned his head away from the gruesome sight Osman grabbed the back of his head with his hand and forced his eyes towards Chanden.

"Look at him! I might have been the one to pull the trigger, but you are the one that killed him! Him, and hundreds of thousands of others!" she yelled.

Osman let go of Teshik and walked to a corner of the room. "Every single one of your ships, the pride of the Imperial Navy, _destroyed_. The entirety of your ground forces, _dead._ All due to your _ineptitude_, your _cowardice_, your _failings_ as a commander."

Voice low, she continued. "Word is going to spread. This _glorious victory_ is only going to cause more planets, systems, factions, to lend their aid and support to the Rebel Alliance. Add to that the fact that the Imperial leadership doesn't seem like the most forgiving bunch..."

Osman started walking again, slowly pacing back and forth in front of Teshik.

"Or rather," she began, "Maybe we could let you go? Put you on a non-stop shuttle to Imperial City? Feel free to correct me, but I have a feeling that what Lord Vader, or perhaps even Emperor Palpatine for a failure of this caliber, will do to you will be worse than what we ever could."

Teshik didn't say anything, instead choosing to look at the floor, silent.

Osman stopped in front of Teshik, and squatted down so she was eye level with him. She could see a plethora of emotions in his eyes. Anger, sadness, confusion, but most of all, and best for Osman, resignation.

"You may think that there is nothing left for you. Your command, gone. Your career, gone. Your life if you were to be released to your superiors, gone." she said. "But if, and only if, you cooperate with us, you will find that is not the case."

Teshik took a few seconds before speaking, the tone of defeat heavy in his voice. "What could you _possibly_ have for me that isn't already lost?"

Osman gave a small smile and straightened herself. Reaching into her back pocket, she withdrew a thin black square, with she then unfolded into a sort of medium-sized sheet. She then placed the sheet over the body of Captain Chanden, after which it changed color and texture to match the deck and walls around it. Within seconds, it was as if Chanden's corpse wasn't even there.

"Bring in our second guest." said Osman aloud.

The door hissed open again, and pushed in was a striking blond female dressed in a simple tunic and pants. She took a second to gain her bearings, but when she saw Teshik in the middle of the room, her face lit up with joy.

She rushed towards the shackled man and wrapped her arms around him, exclaiming "Osvald! I had thought you dead!"

Teshik, obviously caught off guard, stammered, "Ta – Tashia?! How did – how are you alive?"

"I managed to make it to an escape pod with a few others, then I was picked up by these people." said Tashia.

"Have they mistreated you?" asked Teshik hardly, glaring at Osman.

"No, no, I am fine. Osvald, what is going on? Why are you in chains?" asked Tashia. Noticing Osman behind her, she looked back and forth from her to Teshik a few times.

Osman stepped forwards. "Mrs. Teshik, I assure you that your husband will come to no harm, all of this is just a –precaution. Now, if you would please follow your escort back to your quarters, the Admiral and I need some more time to discuss things."

Tashia glanced at Osman, then slowly nodded. She quickly kissed Osvald, then turned and walked out of the room, the door closing behind her.

"Our Search and Rescue teams picked up her escape pod amidst the wreckage of your fleet, along with dozens of others. All of her basic needs are being met. Food, water, shelter, clothing, medical treatment. Whether it continues to be that way, however, is a decision entirely up to you. Her fate, and... the fate of your child."

Teshik's eyes widened in surprise, and his mouth opened slightly.

"Yes Osvald, your wife is pregnant, she has been for almost three weeks. We discovered it during our initial medical screening." said Osman.

"Now, I will ask again one last time. Will. You. Cooperate?" asked the ONI Captain, menacingly.

Teshik gave a heavy sigh, and bowed his head for a moment. When he looked back to Osman, she could tell that this was a man who had made up his mind.

"Yes... What do you wish to know?"

* * *

**A/N: Please don't forget to review!**


	18. Chapter 18: Discovery

**Author's Note: Alright, getting back to a more regular chapter update speed. With the conclusion of the Second Battle of Kashyyyk, this chapter, the longest one to date since Chapter 7 I might add, is more focused on the aftereffects.**

**Also, after a seven chapter break, everyone's favorite (mine at least) ODST is back! Read on to the end of the chapter to find out what he is up to on the forest planet of Endor. **

**More milestones reached with the last chapter, over 400 reviews and 70,000 hits! Your continued support just continues to amaze me, I'm honored to have such great readers. **

**On another note, I've released a new chapter of Prelude to Eternity as well, and I'd say that it's pretty important in terms of the future plot of both stories, so I highly suggest stopping by to read it. **

**As always, very special thanks to my betas Sharnorasian Empire and Jon Harper. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but all original content in mine. **

* * *

**Chapter 18: Discovery**

**Conference Room B-2 aboard UNSC **_**Infinity**_

Admiral Thomas Lasky stood up out of his chair and raised his hands. "Now if I could have everybody's attention, if you could all take your seats, we'll go ahead and get started."

With that, all those attendant took their seats and looked to Lasky.

Sitting at the table in front of him was undoubtedly the most important group of individuals in the Kashyyyk system. Perhaps even the Galaxy.

On the UNSC side was him, General Mason, Colonel Tarkov, Captain Osman, Commander Palmer, and the 'newly added' Captain Eclipse and Starkiller. The holographic avatars of the AI's Roland and Black Box also hovered on the table. The Sangheili Arbiter Thel 'Vadam and the fleet commander R'tas 'Vadum were also there to represent the Separatists Elites.

Sitting opposite them were the Alliance heads. Mon Mothma, Admiral Ackbar, Garm bel Iblis, General Rahm Kota, General Carlist Rieekan, Commander Cracken, and Commander Luke Skywalker.

Representing the planet of Kashyyyk and the Wookie species was the hulking mass of Chief Tarfful, clad in the attire of a ceremonial warrior. Oddly enough, sitting upon his muscular shoulder was none other that the Jedi Grand Master Yoda.

Lasky concluded that the two had shared some bond in the past, but couldn't help but notice how... tired... the Jedi looked.

Something he also noticed was the apparent segregation of the two factions. UNSC sat with UNSC, Alliance sat with Alliance. He took a quick glance towards Commander Cracken, and followed his angry glare towards the UNSC Captain's shoulder paldrons that Eclipse had on her dress uniform. He hoped that wouldn't become a problem later. Cracken struck Lasky as a competent and very capable officer, though a bit too idealistic for ONI's taste, as Osman once told him. Nevertheless the guy had serious issues with former imperials, and Juno Eclipse in particular. He needed to make sure this situation didn't become a rift between the two allied powers.

Lasky himself then sat back down. "All right, first things first." he looked at Captain Osman. "Is the Grand Admiral being cooperative?"

"He's being more than cooperative, we've got ourselves a practical gold-mine of intelligence." replied Osman. Lasky couldn't help but notice that Cracken shot Osman a calculating look that did more than betray a hint of skepticism.

"That's excellent. Have you learned anything about the amount of respite we might have before the next Imperial attack?" questioned Lasky.

"What we had just withstood was an entire Imperial Sector Fleet, three hundred plus ships. It's going to be a significant amount of time before the Imperials are able to gather another force that size, shorter if they are willing to come at us with smaller numbers."

"Numbers Osman, I need numbers."

"Two months, maybe three."

"Okay," began Lasky, "so we're assuming that we have two months until the Imperials launch another large-scale attack, and unless we can improve our numbers in space, it is unlikely that we will be able to repel it. We need to start thinking about long-term defense of Kashyyyk. In other words, ground and space fortifications."

Garm bel Iblis spoke up. "That is all well and good Admiral, we could certainly build heavy turbolaser batteries and such on the surface, but any ground-to-space weapons we could build would be costly, time-consuming, and require a significant amount of power. Take for example, the Ion Cannon we possessed on Hoth. While it was certainly crucial in allowing as many of us to evacuate from the planet as possible, in reality it served little more than a nuisance to the Imperial Fleet before your ships arrived, and it was a constant challenge to keep it running."

"That is why I am suggesting compartmentalizing the defense. Ground defenses will deal with ground defense, while orbital platforms will deal with orbital threats." said Lasky.

"I have to say that aside from the occasional small space station or laser battery, the Alliance does not have much experience when it comes to orbital platforms." commented Ackbar.

"Now that," Lasky started with a grin that could be described as predatory, "Is where we believe we can be of assistance. You can say that the UNSC is _very_ well versed in the practice of orbital defense. Roland?"

The AI sent a number of files and images into the datapads of everyone present, and in the middle of the table projected an image of a long, thin, metallic cylinder with a singular ring of structures and facilities around the midpoint.

"This, is the Mark Two Orbital Defense Platform, more commonly known as a Super MAC." introduced Lasky.

"It's... a massive slug-thrower!" said Cracken a bit incredulously upon reading the file, putting down his datapad.

General Mason snorted. "This isn't just some two-bit 'slugthrower.' If you read the specs, you'll see that its main weapon, the Mk. IV MAC, can launch a 3000 ton tungsten-depleted uranium slug at 12,000 kilometers per second using several sets of super conductive coils in a series which envelopes the entire barrel. Needless to say, the amount of kinetic energy generated by this is enormous. Shockingly so. That MAC gun could put a round clean through an Imperial capital ship."

As if to prove his point, Roland began showing footage of an ODP in action during battle with the Covenant. The streaking yellow flashes of the heavy MAC rounds passed through shields like they were non-existent, tearing gaping holes in the hull and in many cases vaporizing Covenant ships outright before continuing outwards, still having energy to spare to damage or destroy ships in close formation unlucky enough to be caught in their path.

"Impressive..." began the Alliance General Rieekan, "So it is much like the main weapon aboard the _Infinity_?"

"Yes, but ours is _vastly_ scaled down by a large amount. Instead of a 3000 ton slug, ours is only 1200 tons, and fires at only 8,000 kilometers per second. Still devastating as we have seen, but not on the scale of an ODP. Our maximum range is also considerably less, not to mention that due to power constraints we have a much more limited rate of fire." said Lasky.

"I see. But you said this was the Mark Two version? What changes have been made?" asked Rieekan.

"Advances in technology we've made has allowed the ODP to become much more tactically valuable than it once was." said Lasky. "Stronger hull, more precise targeting systems, the addition of much needed point-defense guns, the like. However, all of that pales in comparison to the new reactor we have been able to fit on it."

"You see, in the past, ODP's required so much power to operate that they had to be slaved to groundside generators in order to retain the twelve round-per-minute rate of fire. This meant that if the enemy was able to deploy ground forces to eliminate these generators, than the ODP's became little more than an armored command and control center. For years we had been looking for a station-based generator that was able to supply all the power the ODP needed, and eventually our scientists found it. We had been able to reconfigure some of the older reactors from our _Marathon_-class cruisers, beef them up to par, and soon enough we had a self-contained station. The only drawback is that the rate of fire was increased from five to eight seconds, but we viewed that as an acceptable alternative." finished Lasky.

Mon Mothma leaned forwards, her green eyes cool and calculating. "While I am sure everyone here can see the potential value of such defensive space platforms, I must remind everyone of the time constraints we are under. Would two or three months really be enough time to construct an adequate and functioning amount of these ODP's?"

"Resources isn't a problem." remarked Roland, his first words of the meeting. With a wave of his hand he brought up a map of the Kashyyyk system. "Just looking at the asteroid belt at the edge of the system, there are more than enough raw materials to manufacture a hundred ODP's."

The AI then turned towards Lasky. "However, Mon Mothma is partially right, manpower could be a problem. The _Cradle_ could manufacture the necessary parts, but our crews are trained for combat, not orbital construction. We would have to rely on what engineering teams we do have, plus the limited number of Hurogok and any construction drones we have. Even if we were to give crash courses in EVA engineering to the regular troops, the numbers don't look particularly good."

Lasky put a hand to his chin. "How many?" he asked, referring to the number of platforms that could possibly be built.

"Three... maybe four." said Roland.

"Not enough." gruffly said Lasky.

The conference room was silent as the words that have been said were thought upon.

It was then when the deep, electronically translated voice of the Wookie Chief Tarfful echoed through the room. "I believe I might be able to help."

All eyes turned towards the large Wookie.

"You all have done a great thing for our species, freed us from the tyranny of the Empire, and are forever indebted for you for that." began Tarfful. "That our planet might be used as the launching point for freedom to the rest of the galaxy would be an honor unparalleled. I see it therefore, as my responsibility to help my allies in any way that I can."

"The Imperials sought to enslave my species because of two qualities we possess. We are strong, and we are smart. They trained many of us, myself included in the ways of construction, mining, and other laborious tasks, both on the ground, and in space. Let us help you in your projects to ensure our mutual defense, our experience and numbers would be sure to boost production at least some. Not to mention the dozens of Imperials manufacturing and processing plants scattered across the surface could aid in the material side of things."

Lasky looked at the large Wookie with a sense of growing respect. "I cannot ask your species to do this, especially after just after being released from prison and slavery, not to mention the recently ended battle."

"Admiral, my people are used to hardships. This time has not been the first, nor will it be the last. What makes this different is that it will be _our _choice, and that is more a gift than we have been given in decades. We will do this not just for you, but for all of us." finished Tarfful, resolute. On the big Wookie's shoulder, Lasky thought he could see the faint outline of a smile upon Master Yoda's face.

Lasky slowly nodded in grateful acceptance. "Okay then."

Mon Mothma spoke up. "We will also lend any teams of expertise to this cause, as well as any available cargo ships to help ferry supplies. I apologize Admiral but I am afraid I am going to have to ask to cut this meeting a little short, I have scheduled communications with the heads of both Bothawia and Commonor in thirty minutes. It seems their interest in helping our cause has skyrocketed after our victory here. They are not to the only ones too, there are at least a dozen systems trying to contact me with offers of support that we very desperately need. I had a long meeting with Commander Cracken, and it appears our series of successes are coming to be more widely noticed, despite the best efforts of the Imperials. Is there anything else of importance that cannot wait until later?"

Captain Osman replied very quickly. "Actually yes, there is something quite important everyone here needs to be aware of. I was planning on waiting until the end of the meeting, but there is more intelligence I have gained from the Imperial Grand Admiral."

"Apparently, Emperor Palpatine's right hand, Lord Vader, has been spending a significant amount of time trying to track and capture a few members of the Alliance leadership. Namely Han Solo, Leia Organa, and the Wookie Chewbacca."

Upon hearing this, Commander Luke Skywalker perked up, intense worry showing in his expression.

Osman continued. "Teshik revealed to me that a plan is underway to capture the three. His words were 'There is a noose tightening quickly around them.' He said the Imperials are gradually pushing them towards a group of planets that intersect the Hydian Way and Corellian Trade spine routes."

Skywalker cried out, "If they are in danger, then we have to go after them!" he said urgently.

General Kota put a hand hand on Luke's shoulder, reassuring him.

"Not so fast Skywalker, a hastily enacted rescue plan is more likely to do more harm than good. We need to think this out before we act. We don't even know if these rumors are true, much less the absolute location of either our people _or_ the Imperials." said the Jedi calmly.

Mom Mothma began to speak again, worry lines etched across her face as well. "Indeed, this is an urgent situation we find ourselves in. But we must be wary. Commander Cracken, we have agents in that sector, do we not?"

"Yes we do." said Cracken. "I'll relay the word to have them keep their eyes open for any unusual activity." Cracken thumbed something on his data pad before turning to Roland.

"Roland, if you please?"

The AI nodded and the Holo-projector that projected his image vanished to be replaced by an expansive starfield. Immediately a series of stars were highlighted along with two well-known Hyperspace trade routes.

"As you can see this region of space is massive. The two main trade routes in this area are the Corellian trade spine and the Rimma trade route. Both intersect here in the Mid-Rim at Yag'Dhul. There is also the Hydian Way trade route but it's securely locked down by the Empire; Random Interdictor inspection points and Imperial intelligence has a significant presence all along that route. It would be suicide to go there and Captain Solo knows it. With that in mind I think we should focus our efforts on the Rimma and Corellian routes. There are dozens, if not hundreds of planets along each route… more if you leave the main trade routes to other planets off the beaten path. And I assure you, Captain Solo knows practically every one of them. Without more solid Intel we'll be hard presses to find them."

Luke leaned forward with a look of concentration on his face. He pointed to a group of stars just on the borders of the Outer-Rim along the Corellian trade spine.

"Roland, can you magnify this sector here please?"

Immediately the starfield shifted to a more localized number of planets.

Commander Cracken blinked before picking up on what seemed to have garnered Skywalker's attention.

"That is sector VIII, the tail end of the Corellian trade spine route. That sector alone has over two hundred planets easily."

Lasky frowned in thought, and across the table he could see Osman leaning forward and studying Skywalker with a calculating expression. He had seen this 'Force' do some pretty amazing things. Could it be possible it was guiding Skywalker to where they needed to go? At this point he wasn't willing to discount such a possibility, no matter how ludicrous it may have seemed. He put it out of his mind and focused his attention back to Commander Cracken.

"Are there any planets worthy of note in this region of space?" Lasky asked.

Cracken nodded and without consulting his datapad rattled off a number of names. "There are a few in the region Admiral Lasky. Javin is the most notable, along with Anoat and Ison, Bespin…"

"Bespin…" Luke murmured with a faraway look in his eyes "Bespin…"

Lasky eyed Luke critically before turning back to the localized star map, his brow furrowed in worry,

"I can't help but notice how uncomfortably close Hoth is to these planets."

Cracken nodded again, "Hoth was an out of the way base that was relatively close to planets where we could scrounge up supplies and support if need be. Off the beaten path. Most planets in the Outer-Rim hold a very dim view of the Empire so it's not hard to find the support we need, most of the time. We dare not ship supplies along the main hyperspace trade routes for fear of them being intercepted.

"If Vader is in the area, than we can assume that his flagship, the _Executor_ will be as well." commented Admiral Ackbar.

"I have read in some intelligence report that Vader's personal flagship is not your average Star Destroyer, am I correct?" asked Lasky.

"Unfortunately, yes. It is a Star Destroyer, Dreadnaught-class. Seventeen kilometers of armor plating, gun emplacements, shield generators, and hangar bays. Not a more fearsome weapon has been created by the Empire since the first Death Star." said Admiral Ackbar.

"Seventeen kilometers?" muttered Lasky in surprise. That was more than three times the length of the _Infinity_.

"Yes." said Ackbar. "And as I'm sure you are aware, our ships took a beating in this last battle. We just simply don't have a vessel that can stand up to the _Executor_. In fact, I don't even think we have a ship that's fully repaired yet."

Lasky shared a glance with Thel and R'tas.

"I am afraid it is the same with our own ships as well. Any attempt at a combat mission at this time would not have positive results." said the human Admiral. "However, the_ Infinity_, the Sangheili _Shadow of Intent_ and Eclipse's Star Destroyer are in a good enough shape now to be ready to mount a rescue mission later down the road. If the _Executor _happens to be there, we may not be able to destroy it, but we sure could give it a run for its money."

Mothma raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You would be willing to risk your ships for our personnel?"

""We're allies. Your people are our people now, Mon Mothma." said Lasky. "Besides, what another victory it would be if we could show the galaxy that we possess the strength to rebuff even the strongest of Imperial weapons."

Mothma nodded. "Thank you Admiral."

"Of course. I'll convey the orders to get started with the ODP construction immediately. Meeting adjourned." said Lasky.

There was a shuffling of chairs as all in the room got up and headed towards the door.

Lasky stayed in his chair, and said quietly, "Captain Eclipse, if I could have a moment please."

Lasky noticed the new UNSC Captain stole a glance at Starkiller before sitting back down in a chair in the conference room.

Soon, the door slid closed a final time and it was just them two alone in the room.

"So," began Lasky, "I see you've named your new Star Destroyer. _Hera's Wrath_. I'm intrigued that you've taken an interest in Greek Mythology."

"It's certainly a fascinating period of time in your people's ancient history." said Juno. "Now Admiral, what do you need me for?"

"Right." said Lasky, appreciating Eclipse's down-to-business attitude. "We need your Star Destroyer."

Eclipse cocked her head a little, obviously puzzled, and remained silent, expecting Lasky to continue.

"As I'm sure you are aware, the technology in this new galaxy represents a huge opportunity. Thousands of years in developing directed energy weapons, the likes of such we have only begun to scratch the surface of. A completely different method of faster than light travel. New branches of armor and shielding. There is so much to learn and discover." said Lasky.

Lasky leaned forwards on his elbows. "We want to... 'explore' upgrades our engineers have come up with using your ship. Weapons, shields, engines, core systems, the like."

"So, you want to use my ship as a sort of testing grounds?" questioned Juno.

"In a manner of speaking. Your ship is our proverbial 'ace in the hole.' Those three Acclamators that got away will no doubt have full documentation of our weapons, tactics, and maneuvers. However, all they know about the _Accuser_ is that it's a captured, damaged, Star Destroyer with no commander and an imprisoned crew. Imagine the Imperials surprise when they see not only a fully functioning Star Destroyer, but one outfitted with revamped shields and engines, high-powered turbolasers, Archer missile pods, mass drivers... maybe more."

"More?" said Juno.

"If you are interested, R'tas has volunteered to donate the spare parts required to assemble -" Lasky paused for dramatic effect, "an energy projector."

Juno's eyebrows rose in surprise. "An energy projector?"

"Yes. I assume it would have to be mounted spinally though."

Eclipse bit her lip, obviously thinking the proposition over. Eventually she nodded her head. "Alright. If you're offering me a better way for my Star Destroyer to combat the Imperials, than I accept. I do have one condition, I want to be present for every major addition or modification to the ship."

"Of course. I can assure you that our engineers are the best of the best, both human or otherwise." replied Lasky.

"I do have one other thing." said Juno.

Lasky raised an eyebrow.

"I want my TIE squadrons upgraded as well, if that's at all possible. Better weapons, shielding, hyperdrives, life-support, maneuvering, everything. The Empire treats its TIE pilots like they are disposable assets, and I won't do the same to mine if I can't help it. I know what that's like."

"I'm sure we'll be able to make something happen." assured Lasky. "That is all, dismissed."

They both got up, and Eclipse whipped off a crisp salute to the Admiral, which he returned. Eclipse then about faced and left through the door, leaving Lasky alone in the conference room.

Lasky looked at the closed door and let out a heavy sigh. He looked down to his feet, and scuffed his heels against the floor a couple of times.

The Admiral took a seat, put his elbows on the empty table, and put his hands in his head. He closed his eyes, running his hands through his hair.

"I know what you're thinking about Admiral, and it's not going to help."

Lasky looked up at the source of the voice. It was _Infinity_'s AI Roland, his orange avatar 'standing' on the table in front of him.

"How many?" asked Lasky.

"You already know."

"I need to hear it again. How many?"

Roland pursed his lips. "4,438 dead, 2,491 wounded, 1,422 missing in action, including the crew of the _Blazing Sun_. Almost twice those numbers for the Alliance."

"Almost five thousand casualties." said Lasky softly.

"Yes. But you of all people must know that a good officer must be willing to sacrifice the lives of his men to achieve the mission objective. All of your soldiers knew what they were signing up for."

"I know. But they didn't sign up for this. To be thrown into some different galaxy, fight a war that's not our own, die against the hand of an enemy we didn't even know existed until recently. A human enemy…after fighting so long against an unbeatable alien threat. I'll admit it makes me uncomfortable to think about it."

"The Imperials _made_ it our fight, Admiral. We fight to preserve humanity, and there are humans in this galaxy. I don't know how, that's a question for another time. This Empire represents everything we have deemed evil in our society. They are brutal, unforgiving, cold, and rule with an iron fist over the galaxy they are supposed to protect."

"But what does that say about us as a society, Roland? Think about it. What the Rebel Alliance is saying about the Empire…everything they've said. Those same charges have been laid against us from the Insurrectionists. I can't help but see a disturbing similarity between the two and it makes me wonder. It comes down to one very simple question. How are _we_ any different from the Empire?

Roland smirked. "I can name any number of ways Admiral. We don't exterminate entire populations for daring to oppose use. We don't massacre innocent civilians, and we don't cause needless suffering. We actually tried to talk to the Insurrection, to negotiate…until the Luddite fringe got a hold of it. We've done some pretty horrible things. But we are _nothing_ like the Empire."

"I know all of this. I believe what we are doing, helping the Alliance, is right. But I can't stop thinking of this. We could be the last remnant of the UNSC in existence for all we know. The UEG could be destroyed already, or hundreds of trillions of light years away, in a galaxy far far away. The men and women under my command could represent all of what's left of _us_, and yet I'm sacrificing their lives in a war against a massive opponent who I can bleed but can't defeat!"

"But we don't know if that's true or not Admiral. The brass could realize that nothing has changed and send in reinforcements after us."

"You know as well as I do that we can't count on that to happen, Roland."

"And _you_ also know that the UNSC isn't one to be pushed around. This last battle proved more than anything that we are here to stay, to hell what the Imperials think. Once we complete this ODP grid, we'll have a much more solidified presence in this galaxy. If we are talking about our long-term survival here, we can build and populate cities, train new crews, construct new ships. We've started on one planet before, we can do it again. And just maybe this nagging doubt I've…well, perhaps it'll go away."

"But right now we need to be thinking of the short-term. Because if we screw up now, there won't be a long-term."

Roland nodded his head, and the two were silent for a moment.

"You should get some sleep Admiral, you've been up for almost two days straight. You're getting too philosophical in your old age. I'll make sure thing run smoothly."

Lasky chuckled in spite of himself and nodded. "Sleep sounds like a wonderful idea. Here are your orders. Top priority on making general fleet repairs and getting our navy back to full combat strength. Next comes the ODP's, then the upgrades to Eclipse's ship."

With a grunt the Admiral got up out of the chair and walked towards the door, it opening with him coming near.

Lasky paused in the open doorway. "Also, see what you can do in terms of training for the fleet's Force-sensitive's. We wouldn't want such a potentially valuable asset like that to go to waste."

"Aye aye sir. But I believe Master Yoda and General Kota are already dealing with that. The students are already en rout to their designated hanger bay."

Lasky nodded and walked out the door and turned down the corridor, almost running into Captain Osman in the process.

"I'm sorry sir, I wasn't looking where I was going." she instantly said.

Lasky caught a glance of her face, and was surprised to see that she looked angrily flustered. Osman sidestepped the Admiral and continued down the corridor, walking quickly away.

The Admiral turned the opposite way, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He saw General Rahm Kota and Grand Master Yoda looking at the steadily retreating Osman, their faces unreadable.

Lasky mentally shrugged his shoulders. If whatever was going on was important, than he was sure someone would let him know. For now, he was going to sleep.

* * *

"Captain Osman, a word please."

The ONI officer turned in the direction of the call, and found that it was the Jedi's General Rahm Kota and Grand Master Yoda motioning for her to come over to them.

The meeting had just ended, and everyone was filing out of the door to go upon their other businesses.

Osman couldn't exactly figure out why, but she suddenly began to feel wary. She approached the two Jedi in the corridor and put on her most pleasant face and said, "Yes?"

"We would like to talk to you." said Kota.

"About?" asked Osman.

"Starkiller." said Yoda.

Osman crossed her arm against her chest. "What about Starkiller?"

"It has come to our attention that Starkiller had joined the UNSC along with Juno Eclipse. Not only that, but he has been placed directly into your special operations squad." said Kota.

The Captain narrowed her brows. "How did you find out about this?" She was talking not about Starkiller's enlistment into the UNSC, that was common, yet controversial, knowledge that had riled up her counterpart Commander Cracken. Despite the fact Alliance high command seemed thankful to be rid of the problem. What she was really asking is how they found out that Starkiller had been placed under her command. Osman could count the number of people that knew about that on her fingers.

"Find things out, we do." said Yoda cryptically.

Kota took a step closer to Osman, lowering his voice so that only she could hear him. "We also know about Project: SPEAR. How you tried to turn all of those force-sensitive's into weapons you could just point at a target and let loose. Is that what you plan to do with Starkiller? Try to make him a weapon that only you have control over?"

How they could have learned of Project: SPEAR made her blood run cold. It pointed to a massive security breach.

"You have no business questioning how I use the men and woman under my command." shot Osman curtly.

"Oh, but we do, Captain Osman." began Yoda. "Come to warn you, we have, of the potential danger you could find yourself in."

Osman just remained silent.

"If you think that Starkiller will be the type of person to just blindly follow your orders, operate in the moral 'gray area', you enjoy then you are wrong. He is not that way anymore, he has changed." admonished Kota.

"From Vader's servant to yours, so easily, he will not go." said Yoda.

"I've been around enough intelligence-types like you to know that there's always some sort of ulterior motive. You claim that every action you take is to protect humanity, yet if you continuously stray from the path of good in order to do it, there can be grave consequences." said Kota.

"Is that a threat, General?" Osman asked coolly.

"Far from it." Kota answered at once with earnest sincerity. "Your UNSC was lucky it got off so lightly when Project: SPEAR started to show signs of instability. You have no idea the kind of horror your organization almost unleashed upon its people."

Osman pointed at Kota, tones of anger bleeding through her lowered voice. "And _you_ have_ no idea_ the type situation we were in. Thirty years fighting a war against a genocidal alien races with technology far superior to our own. Almost_ thirty billion _dead, _hundreds_ of planets lost, the entire fate of our species hanging in the balance. ONI did what it had to do to ensure the preservation of the human race, whether it was 'right' or not. Your Rebellion's struggle against this Empire is _nothing_ like our war with the Covenant, and _you_ need to understand that when faced with _extinction_, there was no limit to what we were willing to do to survive. And ONI made it happen."

"We know the struggle you had to go through Captain, and we mourn the senseless and tragic loss of life, but that war is over now. Yet grief and rage still consume you and guide your actions. You and ONI must learn to let go of that fear and hatred. For if you continue to act like the war is still ongoing you may yet get your wish. Using the Jedi potentials to advance your own organization, no matter the cost, it will come back to haunt you. I know that the same has happened to many Jedi... the constant abuse of power causing them to turn to the Dark Side..." warned Kota.

"That's ridiculous. I don't even have the Force." Osman spat.

"One doesn't need the Force, to turn to the Dark Side." said Yoda softly. The venerable old Jedi Master closed his eyes as if listening to some far off sound that only he could hear. "Clouded, the UNSC's future is. Impossible to tell if you sow the seeds of your own demise."

Osman was silent for a moment, before saying, "This conversation is over."

She turned around and sped off down the corridor, almost colliding with Admiral Lasky, who was just then coming out of the conference room.

The Admiral gave the two Jedi a quizzical look, then went on his own way.

Yoda and Kota watched as Osman rounded a corner and disappeared from sight.

"I worry about her." said Kota. "She might already be too far gone."

"I hope that is not the case. You know as well as I that beyond saving, no one lies."

Kota sighed. "I trust Starkiller and his judgment, it's _her_ that I'm afraid of. That she will order him to do something that goes against what he believes in."

"Mmm... If the situation arrives, make the right choice, Starkiller will." Yoda said with utter certainty. "Become the Jedi we always knew he could be, he will."

For the first time that day Rahm Kota smiled "It warms my heart to hear that."

"Suffering, they are." Yoda said with a sad glint in his eyes. "So much pain…_terrible_ pain, they are in. Such grief, such rage. All of them. Hard to resist the call of the Dark side, it is."

Kota seemed thoughtful at that "Perhaps _that _is why the Force brought them to us. Not just for them to help us against the Empire. But perhaps for us to help them against the call of the Dark side?"

Yoda nodded sagely "Strange are the ways of the Force. Much trials ahead of yet, I fear."

"I know. I just hope that it isn't anytime soon."

Yoda smiled up at his old friend. "Come, little time we have. And much training there is. For soon, needed the Jedi will be."

* * *

**Endor**

"_Alright, this should be far enough."_

Rookie unfastened the straps on his rucksack and let the heavy pack fall to the forest floor with a thud.

Janice did the same, then sat down on the ground with a heavy sigh.

They had been walking away from the site of Alpha Base for hours now, and it was beginning to get dark.

Rookie took off his helmet, cleared the sweat from his brow with his forearm, and took a long drink form his canteen. He put his helmet back on, then started digging through his rucksack. After a few seconds of searching he pulled out a medium-sized black bag that just said, 'UNSC.'

"What's in there?" asked Janice.

"_Isn't it obvious?" _chided the Rookie, which served to only cause Janice to cross her arms across her chest.

"_It's a tent. Help me set it up."_ he said, pulling out a variety of object out of the bag.

It took a few minutes, but soon Rookie hammered down the last stake into the ground. Right as he did so, however, the area was lit up for a brief second as lightning surged through the sky above the canopy, accompanied soon afterward by the deep rumbling of thunder.

"_C'mon, lets get out gear into the tent."_

Said tent had a couple of special features that Rookie hoped would help conceal them from the searched of any unwanted visitors.

The outside was painted matte-black and made of a special material that was designed to mask the heat signatures of any person or object inside, and was designed to accommodate two UNSC soldiers carrying an average amount of gear. Rookie had placed the tent inside of a small grove of trees, so it was fairly well hidden visually as well.

The ODST took one last look at his surroundings, then entered into the tent, zipping it closed behind him.

Janice was lying on the ground helmet-less, her head propped up on her rucksack. A small chemlight provided illumination inside the tent, bathing the two in artificial green-yellow hues.

Rookie took off his helmet as well, choosing to sit cross-legged with his pack in front of him. He unlimbered his Battle Rifle from the magnetic clamps on his back and laid it alongside Jan's Assault Rifle.

There was another crack of thunder, this one definitely louder than before.

The silent soldier dug through his pack some more and withdrew two datapads, one which he handed to Janice.

Rookie typed out a message for Janice to read on her own pad.

"_Are you hungry?"_

"Yes, very in fact. I can't remember the last time I've eaten."

Rookie produced two small packages labeled, UNSC MRE. While the content of the rations had changed over the centuries, the name had remained the same ever since it's introduction in the twenty-first century United States of America. These Meals-Ready-to-Eat were often criticized by soldiers for usually unsatisfactory taste, being relabeled as Meals-Rarely-Eaten, Meals-Rejected-by-Everone, or Rookie's personal favorite, Three Lies in a Bag. Nevertheless, the field rations did what they were supposed to do, provide nutrition and sustenance to soldiers out in the field.

He opened his own package and withdrew the bag that contained the main meal. He then put his meal into another bag, this one when combined with water would start a chemical reaction that would heat the food inside. He poured some water from his canteen into the bag, then took a swig himself.

Then, like someone had turned on a switch, the downpour started full force. Torrents of rain began to come down, creating an incredibly loud din as the drops ricochet off the sides of the tent.

"_I set up a rain-collection bin outside, we'll be able to refill our canteens after the storm."_ typed Rookie.

Jan just nodded, and the pair spent the next few minutes silent, eating the rest of their rations while the storm raged outside, the distinct crack or rumble of thunder rolling through the air every so often.

"Can I ask you something?" said Jan, looking at Rookie with her piercing green eyes.

The ODST shrugged and nodded his head.

"Could I...could I ask what your real name is?" she said, shifting her position a little.

When Rookie raised his eyebrow in questioning, Jan said, "It's just that, it was blacked out on your medical file, and I thought, given our situation..."

When met by the ODST's silence, Jan quickly looked away red in the cheeks and began to stammer, "I'm – sorry, I shouldn't have asked..."

Rookie picked up his datapad and typed out a short message.

"_It's James. James Francis."_

A look of confusion crossed Jan's face. "James Francis? That's an unusual name for someone who was born in Volgograd, Russia. "

"_My parents immigrated from North America, so that's the reason for the strange name. But now you know."_

"So you lived on Earth?" asked Jan, a tone of almost wonder evident in her voice. "What was it like?"

"_It was hard." _Rookie typed, a mood of bluntness seemingly transferring itself through the words. _"Our family did not have much money, so we all had to work to make ends meet. The week after I graduated highschool, my parents died in a car crash. What meager savings we had left I had to use to pay for the funeral. There was nothing left for me there, so I enlisted immediately after the service ended. I remember I was still in my suit when I got to the recruiting center. And here I am."_

There was genuine pain showing in Jan's eyes, and a feeling of familiarity. "I'm so sorry. I was born on Harvest. I was only five years old when the first skirmishes erupted. I had a family, my dad and mom and my two sisters, but after the first invasion I never saw them again. I just remember being yanked out of school one day and being shoved into a freighter, scared and alone. I grew up in an orphanage on Reach until I turned eighteen, when I enlisted into the Navy."

The two humans were quiet for another few moments, both listening to the steady pour of the rain, reminiscing in memories long since past.

The Marine reached for his helmet again and slid it back over his head.

"_We should probably try to get some rest."_

"Okay. But why did you put your helmet back on?"

"_Motion sensors. I don't like to be snuck up on."_

"Oh. Well, goodnight I guess."

The Navy nurse lied down on her side and closed her eyes.

Rookie jostled his rucksack so that he could lean back against it while sitting, and he crossed his arms against his chest, legs straight out.

With a few blinks in his HUD he calibrated his motion sensor to its farthest range. He waited as a couple of pings went out, showing nothing of sizable mass in the immediate area. He then set an alarm to go of in case anything of sizable mass _was_ detected, so he wouldn't be left surprised. At least that was what he hoped. He remembered the boar-wolf creatures that had ambushed his squad a couple days ago, the same ones who had put him in the infirmary in the first place. Rookie knew he wouldn't mind if he never saw one of those animals for the rest of his life.

Satisfied of the relative safety of both him and Jan for the moment, Rookie allowed himself to close his eyes, and he quickly drifted off to a dreamless sleep...

* * *

Rookie was instantly awakened by the triple beep of his motion sensor alarm. He looked and saw that eight new contacts had just entered the maximum detection range, showing up as circular blue dots, the color for unidentified. There was something strange that the ODST noticed though. The dots were spaced in a column-like formation, with six forming the main body, while two were farther out ahead and behind of the main body on either end.

The ODST recognized a patrol pattern when he saw one. Could it be that some crew from Alpha Base had survived? Maybe some of the longer range patrols? But if that was the case, then why weren't their IFF transponders registering in his HUD? There was the less desirably option, that the dots were soldiers from the strange triangular ship he had seen while he was still at Alpha Base, searching the woods for any signs of survivors.

He checked his clock, it was only about two hours after he had fallen asleep, and judging by the heavy noise of the rain, the storm was still raging.

He reached for his Battle Rifle and racked the bolt, confirming that there was a round in the chamber. This action woke up Janice, who upon seeing Rookie armed asked "What's going on?"

"_My motion detector is showing some contacts, I'm going to go check it out."_

"UNSC?"

"_I don't know. If they are then their IFF transponders aren't registering. Stay here."_

Jan grabbed her own Assault Rifle, but nodded to Rookie's request. "Be careful." she said.

Rookie quietly unzipped the tent and stepped outside, making sure to zip it back up right away.

It was pitch black outside, and the rain was coming down in torrents. Occasionally a flash of lightning would light up the surroundings for a brief second, but then the forest would be plunged back into darkness.

Rookie immediately activated his HUD's VISR setting to help see in the low-light environment. By the look of his motion tracker, the eight dots were moving slowly in his general direction, so Rookie decided that he would let them come to him.

He stealthily moved about twenty meters away from the campsite, and took cover behind a fallen tree, Battle Rifle pointed outwards.

The ODST counted down the meters as the dots approached. _125... 100... 75... 50_. Now the eight were just fifty meters away, and Rookie still couldn't see them due to the heavy foliage and the storm, which worried him.

A few more seconds passed when Rookie heard the sharp sound of a branch cracking in front of him through the din of the rain and thunder.

As a flash of lightning bathed the area in white, Rookie saw one of them as the figure stepped out of the brush. It was a humanoid figure covered in a full suit of white body armor that looked almost like polished plastic. It was wearing a relatively large helmet with a distinct T-shaped black visor, but what alarmed Rookie the most was that it was brandishing a black object that looked very much like a rifle, which was now being raised in his direction. In his HUD the figure had before been outlined in blue, but with the raising of what Rookie assumed to be a weapon the outline changed to bright red. Enemy.

The ODST ducked down behind the log and heard a strange whine, accompanied by a ruby red bolt of light screaming right above him. It almost reminded Rookie of a shot from a Covenant Plasma Rifle or other weapon, yet this energy seemed more refined and channeled. Either way, he quickly assumed that he should try not to get hit by one.

A split-second after the laser bolt passed above him, Rookie popped back out of cover and put a lightning-fast three round burst right into the chest of the lone figure. He watched as the UNSC lead buried itself into the figure's chestplate, causing it to fall backwards either in death, or simply due to the force of the rounds.

Rookie didn't have any time to contemplate, as three more of the figures burst out of the brush right after the first one fell. The ODST fired another burst, and though two of his bullets missed his target, the last one sliced though the targets neck area, ripping the black bodysuit like paper. Rookie assumed he had hit something vital, as the white-armored figure fell to the ground, one hand clutching his neck.

The other two fired bursts from their laser rifles, causing Rookie to scramble for cover. He almost wasn't fast enough, as one of the bolts grazed the side of his helmet. He could feel the heat blistering the side of his face, and the electronics in his helmet all shorted out. His HUD went dark, and barely being able to see, Rookie tore off his helmet and threw it to the ground. The rain immediately assaulted his exposed head, the water dripping into the rest of his bodysuit and causing the side of his face to burn even more.

The other two troopers were pouring fire into his position, scorching wood and leaving trails of steam through the rain. Rookie's tactical instincts kicked in, as he realized that the two soldiers were attempting to suppress him and keep him pinned. There were still four soldiers that were unaccounted for, and Rookie knew that if he didn't move he was going to get flanked –

There was another flash of lightning, and out of the corner of his eye Rookie caught a glimpse of a white-clad trooper rushing towards him at full speeds, aiming to tackle him to the ground.

The ODST reacted instantly, turning towards the approaching trooper and falling to the ground on his back. He then used his feet to propel the enemy soldier over him, causing the soldier to completely flip in the air and land hard on his back as well.

Rookie was on him in an instant, flipping over and lunging at the trooper, grabbing onto his helmet. The ODST drew his combat knife from the cross-draw position on his chest and plunged the seven inch long blade right into the neck of the trooper. A sickening wet gargling sound could be heard as crimson blood started spurting from the wound.

Rookie stood up and was in the process of drawing his pistol when he was tackled from behind, the hit violently forcing the air out of his lungs and sending him crashing to the ground. He gasped for air as he landed, hard, his pistol flying out of his hand.

He felt something cold and metal against the back of his exposed neck, and he grunted with pain as a surge of electricity raced through his body, every muscle painfully contracting, immobilizing him. It was every bit as bad as he remembered when he had been tased back in boot camp.

Rookie's arms were forced behind his back, and some kind of restraining device was put on his hands. He was forced up to his knees, still spasming occasionally from the effects of the taser device.

He was then bashed in the side of the head with what he assumed was a rifle stock, based on the weight and pain associated with it. The ODST fell back to the ground from the hit, and he felt the warm, sticky sensation of blood running down his face, the rain doing its best to wash it away.

He was brought back to his knees again, and one of the troopers walked in front of him, the crouched to get eye level with him. The trooper then took of his helmet.

Rookie was shocked upon seeing a very human, male face. We're they on some kind of URF planet that hasn't been discovered? Who were these people? He didn't show any of his questions on his face though, lest he give anything away.

The other man looked at Rookie for a few seconds with hate-filled eyes, and Rookie returned the glare. The trooper then stood back up and delivered a vicious hammerfist to the other side of Rookie's head. He was caught before he could fall down, but the ODST was definitely feeling the effects of the head impacts, and he could taste copper in his mouth.

"Lieutenant, SF-3765, SF-4993, and SF-3820 are all dead." came the slightly synthesized male voice through the external speakers of one of the other troopers.

The fact that these soldiers not only spoke English, but also seemed to use the same kind of ranking system as the UNSC was not lost upon Rookie, even in his current state.

The lieutenant turned back to Rookie. "You dirty piece of rebel _scum_. Those were some of my best men."

"Wait, sir, we've got another life-form on scanners. It's coming this way!"

A pit of dread formed in Rookie's stomach. _Janice._

"Set your blasters to stun!" yelled the Lieutenant.

Three troopers rushed off into the brush, and a few seconds later Rookie heard that same whine, but he could of swore he saw a glimpse of blue light instead of the previous red.

About thirty more seconds passed, then the three troopers reappeared. One was dragging behind him the unconscious body of Jan, while the other two were carrying the rucksacks Rookie and Jan had in their tent.

The trooper dragging Jan dumped her a few meters away from Rookie, and the other two troopers did the same with their packs.

"We found her just outside some sort of shelter, along with what we assumed were their supplies." said a trooper.

They started going through the rucksacks, depositing everything they found onto the ground, medical supplies, ammunition, rations, everything.

Off to the side another trooper hefted Rookie's Battle Rifle, inspecting it. "Hey sir," he said, talking to the Lieutenant, "this is a projectile weapon! These became obsolete millennia ago!"

"Yeah, well it did a damn fine job killing my men, didn't it?" spat the officer at Rookie.

When the trooper searching Rookie's ruck came across a block of C12, his body language suggested that he was surprised. The trooper produced some sort of instrument from his belt and ran it over the explosives a few times.

"Lieutenant, you're going to want to hear this. This is the same compound that we picked up from the ruins of that armory building after the explosion."

The officer turned towards Rookie. "So, it was you that set up all those traps? You're the one who's responsible for the death of over two-thirds of my platoon!"

Inwardly Rookie smirked. While he knew he wasn't the explosives expert that others might have been, it was good to know that he could still get the job done when he needed to.

H was surprised that the fact he was probably going to die in this very spot didn't bother him as much as it should have.

The lieutenant was silent for a moment, looking like he was making a mental decision.

"Well," he began to say, "It was extremely unfortunate that we were unable to apprehend both subjects for interrogation, seeing as he violently resisted capture and was a danger to both my men and myself. I made the command decision to terminate him after he had already killed three other Stormtroopers in order to preserve the safety of the rest of the squad. Is that correct?"

"Yessir." quickly replied the other troopers.

"Excellent." said the lieutenant, drawing what looked to be a pistol from his hip. He put the pistol to Rookie's head, the ODST feeling the cold metal resting against his temple.

The Stormtrooper lieutenant was about to pull the trigger when half of his head disappeared in a shower of blood, bone, and brain matter. As he began to fall limp to the ground, a hail of gunfire ripped though the air, cutting down the remaining troopers before they even had a chance to raise their rifles.

There were a few seconds of silence as Rookie watched blood from the dead Stormtroopers pool onto the ground from jagged holes in their armor.

It was then when the instantly recognizable silhouettes of four figures in ODST armor stepped out into the small clearing he was in.

One of the men walked over to Rookie and crouched before him, depolarizing his visor to show the face of none other than his Gunnery Sergeant.

"Hey Rook. Looks like we got here just in the nick of time eh?" said Buck, smiling.

He got up and walked around to Rookies back, where he cut through his hand restraints.

As Rookie flexed and rubbed his hands, Buck said, "We had no idea if you had survived or not, last I heard you were still in the field hospital when that ship came down on top of the base. Shoulda known better, if the Covenant couldn't kill ya, then what the hell kinda chance does a piece of falling debris have?"

Rookie pointed towards his head, indicating the lack of helmet.

"Right. Romeo, you still carrying that extra helmet?" asked Buck.

Romeo didn't answer, instead just tossing the helmet to Rookie, which he proceeded to put on.

As Rookie walked over to pick up his Battle Rifle off the ground next to the dead Stormtrooper who had confiscated it, Buck pointed to the supplies strewn all over the ground next to the two rucksacks.

"Mickey, Dutch, police that gear."

"Yes sir. Who's the girl?" asked Mickey, pointing towards the still unconscious Jan.

"_She's a Navy nurse that was in my room when Alpha Base was destroyed. Her name in Janice."_

"Whoa, you can talk now?" said Dutch, surprised upon receiving Rookie's message.

"_Sort of."_

"That's good, we could use a nurse." said Buck.

"_Sergeant, how many survived?"_

"We have forty-two personnel who escaped the initial destruction. Forty-four now including you two. All were those who were sent on the longer range patrols when the call to arms went out. Four squads of Marines, our ODST squad, two engineers, two sensor technicians, and two pilots."

"_Pilots? We have vehicles?"_

"Yes. Two Warthogs, one with a Gauss cannon, a mongoose, a Falcon, and a Hornet. That's it."

"_Who's the ranking officer?"_

"I am. Come on, it's best we don't stay here for much longer. Camp is about two clicks due East."

Dutch and Mickey had shouldered what had previously been Rookie's and Jan's rucksacks, and Romeo was about to pick up Jan to carry her.

"_I've got her."_ said Rookie, picking her up.

"Are you sure?" questioned Romeo.

Rookie nodded.

"Alright, let's head out." said Buck. It was then that he noticed the black rifle attached to Romeo's belt. "Romeo, what the hell are you doing with that?"

"Trophy?" said the ODST hopefully.

"Trophy my ass, that thing could have a tracking device implanted in it for all we know. Get rid of it."

With a sigh Romeo detached the blaster rifle from his belt and let it fall to the forest floor.

"Come on, let's move while it's still dark out."

* * *

The 'camp' turned out to be a collection of tents and tarps in the middle of a clearing surrounded by thick jungle. The canopy of the trees above created a sort of 'roof' offering good visual cover from above. The various vehicles were scattered about, some serving as parts of shelters, each covered in an appropriate amount of camouflage.

The storm had stopped almost as soon as they had started walking, and Jan had woken up halfway through, being able to travel the rest of the way under her own power.

The first rays of sunlight were making their ways through gaps in the foliage when the group arrived at the makeshift base.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, but we've got a small reconnaissance drone flying overhead, it's given us a pretty good picture of the surrounding area.

"_Can you send me a map?"_

A digital map soon appeared on Rookie's HUD, and with a few blinks he marked the reference points that represented the supply caches he had buried.

"_We buried a few caches of supplies back near Alpha Base, I've marked it on your map."_

"Excellent thinking, we sure could use the ammunition and such if we're going to be here for an extended time." said Buck. He then motioned over two Marines who were playing cards atop an overturned crate. "Sergeant Stacker, Sergeant Dubbo!"

The two Marines halted their card games and hustled over to Buck. "Sargeant?" they asked.

"When night falls, take your squads to these locations, you'll find buried some caches of supplies that we desperately need. But be careful, they are pretty close to Alpha Base, and we don't want to run into any more of those plastic boys if we can help it."

"We'll get it done Gunny."

"Good. Dismissed." he looked at Jan. "You can set up over there. We don't have any injuries yet, we've been lucky with that so far."

Jan nodded then looked at Rookie, "Come on, let me look at your head."

"_I'm fine."_

"I can see the blood dripping out of your neck seal. Come."

Rookie gave in and walked over with Jan.

"Hey Gunny! You're gonna want to come and see this!"

Buck turned his head to the source of the call, and found it was one of the sensor technicians, hunched over some fancy piece of equipment. There was a small ground gathered around her as well, something Buck found strange.

The ODST sergeant walked over, saying, "What is it Greene?"

"I'm getting some strange readings about five and a half clicks to our North."

"Strange how?" asked Buck, maneuvering his way through the crowd so he could see the instrument screen.

"Take a look Sergeant." said Greene.

Buck observed the reading for a moment, then furrowed his brows in confusion. "I recognize these. They're the same kind of structure readings we got when we did our tour of duty on -"

"Requiem." finished Greene.

"That can only mean one thing." said Buck.

"Forerunners…."

* * *

**Don't forget to review!**


	19. Chapter 19: Records

**Author's Note: So here we go, the latest installment in the New Horizon. Lots of fairly important things happen in this chapter, many of which will greatly influence the rest of the story.**

**Also, I am releasing the latest and final chapter of Prelude to Eternity right after this one, and it is absolutely **_**CRITICAL**_** that you read it in order to understand what will happen later in New Horizons.**

**As always, special thanks to my beta's jonharper and Sharnorasian Empire.**

**Also, I've got a new poll up on my profile page where you can vote on who you think is the most 'badass' character or group of characters.**

**Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but all original content is mine.**

* * *

**Chapter 19: Records**

**One Week Later**

**Cargo Bay aboard the UNSC **_**Infinity, **_**Kashyyyk**

Luke Skywalker jumped and grabbed onto the edge of a cargo container and hoisted himself up. He quickly got to his feet and took off running across the top. He looked ahead and saw a large gap separating the next container, but he didn't slow down. At the edge he made a mighty leap, doing a front flip in the air and landing expertly on his feet. There was a metal cable reaching up towards the ceiling, and Luke grabbed onto it and started climbing.

"Good! Good! The Force, gives you strength it does! Through you, let it flow!"

Luke let the words of Grand Master Yoda, who was hanging onto his shoulders on his back, inspire him. He took a deep, calming breath and opened himself up to the lifeblood of the galaxy. Its invigorating presence flowed into him, replenishing his stamina and banishing his muscle fatigue like cool spring water on a hot summer's day. With a new sense of purpose, Skywalker continued on his climb, reaching the top in a matter of seconds.

The young Jedi looked, hanging onto the cable with just a single arm. The metal deck below looked to be about a fifty meter drop, most likely lethal.

"Jump." said the Jedi Master quietly.

"From this height?" asked Luke, alarmed at Yoda's request.

"Trust in the Force, you must. _Believe_ that you will come to no harm, and no harm will come to you."

Luke nodded, and took a deep breath. He swung on the rope a couple of times, then simply let go. For a split second, he felt the familiar sensation of his stomach bottoming out, the same feeling he got when performing a high-G dive in his X-Wing.

The first twenty meters felt like a regular free-fall, but that was when Luke started to notice something strange. He began to encounter resistance, as if the very air around him was somehow increasing in thickness. It reminded him of his stay in a bacta tank at Hoth, with the sickly-sweet syrupy liquid all around him. Luke's started to slow dramatically, and he soon found himself touching down to the ground with the lightness and grace of a feather.

Luke wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his arm. He had been running around this bay for thirty minutes now, climbing up, down, and jumping off of containers, swinging off ropes, and maneuvering through the maze-like paths as fast as possible. Using the Force in an impressive acrobatic display of flips, handstands, tumbles and rolls. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced before and it came as naturally to him as breathing.

"Good, good. Your training, advancing rapidly it is. Strong in the ways of the Force you are becoming, much like your father before you..." Yoda trailed off at those quiet words, and the two spent a moment in silence.

Luke smiled at Yoda's compliment. He didn't know much about his father but what little he did know painted a hero he could be proud of. To be compared to him by the former Grand Master of the Jedi was perhaps the greatest compliment he could receive.

"Come," Yoda said, "Let us go back to the others, see how their training is going, I must."

The journey to the regular training area was short, as it was the cargo bay immediately adjacent to the one Luke was just in.

The two entered the hangar bay, they saw six figures. General Kota and Starkiller were standing off to a side, the younger Jedi leaning against a wall, arms crossed. In the center of the room sat cross-legged the four UNSC force-potentials, Spartan Thorne, the ODST Sergeant McKinney, the electronic warfare officer Brooks, and the supply clerk Sprintz. The four were sitting in a circle, and each had a decent sized rock from the surface of Kashyyyk on the deck in front of them.

Kota walked over to Yoda, who had descended from Luke's back and had produced his can from his robe.

"Master Yoda, Commander Skywalker, hello."

Luke nodded at Kota, while Yoda asked, "What have the students been learning today?"

"Yes. All of the students have been able to make a steady connection with the Force, so now we have been trying to manipulate physical objects." said Kota. He then sighed, "Some... have been more successful than others."

The Jedi General then turned to the UNSC force-sensitives. "Go on, demonstrate what you can do so far."

Looks of concentration crossed each of their faces, with results soon appearing. Petty Officer Brooks and Private Sprintz had managed to get their rocks about a foot off the ground, wobbling profusely, but in the air nonetheless. Staff Sergeant McKinney, in a very impressive display for his skill level, had the rock floating in lazy circles around his head.

Spartan Thorne, however, was having no such luck. He was staring intently at his rock, but it refused to budge.

Starkiller, along with all the other Jedi in the room, could feel the waves of frustration and anger start seeping out of Thorne's Force aura.

Thorne looked up at the others in the circle, and frowned upon seeing the others progress. McKinney looked at him and smirked, the rock still circling around him.

"What's wrong Spartan boy? Can't move a measly rock? Seems like those fancy augmentations and super advanced armor are _really _paying off." he said in a mocking, sarcastic manner.

Thorne shot up off the ground and took a step towards the ODST, but Starkiller was there in between them instantly.

"That's enough! Thorne, come with me." he said strongly, grabbing the Spartan by the shoulders and turning him around, leading him towards the door. He shared a brief look with Kota who nodded sagely.

As they were leaving the bay they could hear Kota chastising McKinney. "We _do_ not ridicule our fellow students! The Force works in different ways in everyone, and it is not your place to – "

The door slid shut, leaving Thorne and Starkiller alone in the corridor. The Jedi Knight motioned for the Spartan to follow him, and he led him into the adjacent cargo bay. Starkiller sat on a crate, and motioned for Thorne to do the same on one opposite him.

"I can sense the frustration bleeding out of you like an open wound. I know you were having trouble with the exercise, what was going wrong?" asked Starkiller.

Thorne sighed. "I could feel the damn rock in the Force, hell, I could even sense the individual compounds it was made of. But no matter how hard I tried, there was nothing I could do that would physically move that thing."

Starkiller put a hand to his chin. "Hmmm... I've heard of this kind of block before, but the Force is abound in you, I can feel it. Maybe..."

"Maybe what?" asked Thorne.

"Perhaps it is stronger in you a different way. Tell me, is there anything you feel you can do exceptionally well when it comes to the Force? Something you've noticed either just walking around the corridors of the _Infinity_, or in the middle of a heated firefight."

Thorne thought for a moment. "I've always been very aware of my team members. Where they are, what they were doing, what they were thinking, even before I truly connected with the Force. Now it's like that's been magnified."

Starkiller nodded. "Do you think you could tell me where your teammates are now?"

Thorne closed his eyes and took a calming breath outwards, expanding his sphere of awareness.

"Tedra is in the armory, doing something with her DMR... wait, she was boasting yesterday about some grenade launcher she picked up? I don't know. Hoya is in his bunk sleeping. Figures. That man sleeps more often than the cat I had back when I was a kid on Earth..."

The Spartan paused, reminiscing on times long passed with those he loved who were now long gone. Taken from him during the Diadacts attack on Earth. He felt the familiar lurch in his throat as the wave of grief threatened to overwhelm him again, only this time it hit him stronger than he had ever felt before. He struggled to push past the sudden surge of anger and loss, managing to compose himself.

"DeMarco's in the gym sparring with the leader of Crimson... Jake's his name I'm pretty sure." Thorne cracked a whimsical smile as he thought about the team Majestic had long since had a rivalry with. "Mysterious bunch, Crimson team, we hardly see them outside of the combat sims."

Thorne chuckled. "DeMarco was pretty pissed after he got his ass handed to him by you, he's been sparring or fighting almost every chance he can get. And Madsen? Madsen's is in a... supply closet? And he's with someone..."

The Spartan's eyes flew open in surprise, and a huge grin crossed his face. "No way. The Crimson sniper?!"

Starkiller smiled in spite of himself. "See? You have incredible talent when it comes to perception and awareness."

Thorne paused a moment, then continued. "During battle, it's like I could _feel _things before they happened. That I could 'sense' the danger. For example, I'll just_ know_ exactly where hostile fire is coming from, who shot it, and where it is going. More than once I've saved one of my squadmates ass from an Imperial sniper's beam."

"We call that Battle precognition. When your hair stands up on end and skin your tingles, and you have a brief, overwhelming sense of incoming harm. It's what gives Jedi an edge over most others during combat." said Starkiller. He then put a hand to his chin and furrowed his brows in thought.

"What is it?" asked the Spartan, keying in on the Jedi's expression.

Starkiller leaned back on his crate. "The Force is centered on the principle of balance. Balance of Light and Dark, balance of weak and strong, balance of slow and fast, and so on. The Force, seeing that you are already physically superior to most due to your military training and augmentations, may have decided to give you strength in another area, you mental awareness and perception. Or...it could be something else altogether that's causing this block. It's hampering your progress, whatever it is. And we must find it."

"Are you saying that the Force is capable of making such decisions?" asked Thorne, a little skeptical. "I know that the energy of the Force is all-encompassing and binds the universe together, but..."

"I do not know." said Starkiller truthfully. "While some doubt the Force is capable of such direct actions, we _do_ know that it is able to influence the decisions and lifestyles of those sensitive to it. It can guide you where you are needed, when you are needed the most. There are many with different views of the Force and all of those views have some merit to them. In time you will find your own path. But do not be distracted by this just now. First you have to learn to harness your power. You _will _forge your own destiny lest others form it _for _you."

Thorn gave Starkiller an uneasy look at that statement, wondering exactly _what _the Jedi was implying.

"So what you're saying is, focus on the here and now?" asked Thorne, contemplatively.

"Yes. The choices you have made and that others have made have brought you here. Call it fate, luck or the Will of the Force. But the events of your life up to this point have shaped you, given you purpose and it has brought you here. Now we find out why. But to do that, you need to be trained. And to be trained you need to work past what is impeding your training."

A look of deep sadness and thought crossed Thorne's face "You ever hear about New Phoenix? What happened?"

Starkiller shook his head and focused all his attention on the man before him. He felt they were closing on the heart of the real issue that was bothering the young Spartan. "I have not, no."

Thorne nodded, "I didn't expect you would. Not many people talk about it. It's why I joined the Spartans in the first place. I thought…I thought….." Thorne clenched his jaw as his eyes took on a faraway expression. "Well it doesn't matter what I thought."

Starkiller suddenly understood. It was grief.

"You lost someone close to you."

It wasn't a question. And subtly probing with the Force Starkiller could feel a wave of grief surge anew ad crack through a damn of Durasteel will power.

"My Family." Thorne choked out. And the young Spartan started trembling then, his face contorting in grief and rage.

The powerful surge emotions was nothing new to him but this time they hit with unimaginable strength. Those feelings of grief and rage long held back surged forward like a mega-tsunami, finally breaking through his dam of willpower. It coursed through his entire being like a torrential flood.

"They were on New Phoenix when the attack came. I was off world when it happened. When I got back…I…" A tear escaped his eyes…followed by another. "…I just knew. My buddies were telling me to hold out hope. That they could have made it to the shelters. They survived the Covenant attack, they would survive this." Thorne looked up at him then with haunted eyes moist with tears "But I _knew!_ I just…I just knew they were gone."

Starkiller said nothing as he held his gaze.

Thorne looked away and held his head in his hands and sobbed. Finally shedding tears of grief that had been clamoring for release for far too long. It seemed like hours but was in fact only minutes before Thorne steeled himself again.

"So…I…I ah… signed on with the Spartans the next day. It wasn't easy. They take only the best. I thought it was the best way to hit back at the bastards that did this to them. So I threw myself into my training, never stopping, always pushing harder than anyone else. I was like a man possessed. No matter the pain or exhaustion, I kept going. I made it through selection and augmentation like I knew I would. I was posted on _Infinity_ with my new squad, Majestic. And when I heard we were going to Requiem, the homeworld of those _things_, I was glad! Finally I'd get some payback. Funny thing is…when the fighting started. I was more worried about _them_ then the Enemy."

Starkiller raised his eyebrows "Them?"

Thorne grinned then a lopsided grin that made him look younger than he was. "Tedra, and Hoya, Madsen and Demarco." Thorne chuckled then, "They kind of grow on you."

Starkiller shared his lopsided grin, knowing exactly what Thorne was talking about. The same way a meddling old Jedi general kind of grew on him.

Like mold.

"I found myself…more worried about keeping them alive, more so than killing the Prometheans." There was a subtle shift of emotions on his face. He was starting to regain control. "Only we _weren't_ killing them."

Starkiller frowned in confusion, "I don't follow."

Thorne looked at him with mixed expression of horror and something else Starkiller couldn't quite read. Focusing on his aura he could see the wall of willpower building itself back up and quickly. He needed Thorne to get this off his chest completely before it began building up again. Like a pressure cooker inside his mind.

He knew exactly what that was like. Kota had stated numerous times that his own explosive outbursts of raw, brutal powerwere attributed to his own 'pressure cooker'. And for a Jedi such a thing was extremely unhealthy.

"You'll get a briefing on it later, I'm sure. But the Prometheans…they're not…organic."

"Droids?" Starkiller questioned.

"No…worse….far worse." Thorne swallowed heavily. "They were once people. Broken down and digitized into nothing more than Hardlight and armor. Cold and brutal. All traces of humanity ripped from them, but the memories were still there, buried under the programing of what they had been turned into."

Starkiller felt as if he was going to be sick and he could feel the Force recoil as if in horror at the atrocity Thorne was describing. Such a thing was anathema to the Force. An abomination. And in a flash of insight Starkiller truly understood Thorne's anguish.

"Your family…." Stariller whispered in horror.

Thornes head snapped up as if jolted. "Yeah. I thought I was there to avenge their murder. Instead…I don't know if they were among the many I killed. But they don't stay dead. The keep coming, they _respawn!_ Any number of them could have been my family. And I could have killed them…again and again…..And every time I see one I wonder…just for a split second…could this one have been my mother? My father? Am I killing a member of my family all over again? Before they kill me and my team?"

Thorne let go of a bitter chuckle. "The Diadact didn't kill them. What he did was far _worse._ He turned them into abominations and then set them loose on those they loved. There is not enough punishment in this entire galaxy for what he has done."

"And you have hope that you can find them? Save them from their torment?" Starkiller asked.

Thornes face instantly darkened and Starkiller wondered if maybe had said something wrong.

"Requiem is gone. And with it any hope of saving my family. Besides, I'm stuck in an entirely different galaxy!" Thorne stated darkly.

Starkiller felt something, a faint whispering on the Force so subtle he almost missed it. He smiled serenely. "There is_ always_hope Gabriel Thorne. Trust in the Force…and have faith in yourself and you _will _free them. Believe in that."

Thornes reaction was not quite what Starkiller was hoping for.

"What would you know about it?" Thorne sneered. "They're gone! And no mystical energy field can change that!"

Thorne rose with such speed and made for the door that Starkiller didn't truly consider the words that next came from his lips. Before he knew it they were flowing freely.

"I was eight years old when they came for us. Down on the planet we now orbit…"

Thorne froze with his back turned to Starkiller his hand an inch from the door controls.

"The Wookies had taken us in when no one else would. To be a Jedi was to be hunted and hated by the Galaxy. But not to the Wookies. They had a long history with the Jedi, filled with respect and friendship. They took us in when none would dare."

Now it was Starkiller who felt a sudden surge of emotion and Thorne turned slowly to face him, riveted to the spot and knowing deep down everything Starkiller was saying was the truth.

"I could feel _him_ as he carved a malevolent path of destruction through everything in his way. I could feel the coldness of his hatred as it reached out for me…taking everyone and everything I loved."

Starkiller swallowed heavily. Though he had shed his grief long ago, the pain of it was still great. "My father told me to hide. Not just from the sight of the monster hunting us but in the Force. So that the monster wouldn't find me."

Thorne watched riveted as Starkillers eyes had that far away haunted look he had seen so many times in the mirror and on the faces of anyone who had lost a loved one. Starkiller knew pain. _His_ pain. He understood it. Thorne felt an odd kinship with the man at that moment.

"I watched as my father faced the black clad demon who he had no hope of defeating. For me.

That demon, he was _my_ Diadact"

"_**Vader!**_"

The name was spoken with such venom that if Thorne had any doubts that he was hearing the truth they were vanquished right then and there.

"I watched as he tormented my father and taunted him. And I felt so…helpless. There was nothing I could do to save him. All I could do was watch in horror."

"Your Mother?" Thorne asked.

Starkiller shook his head. "She died years before that. To a member of the Inquisitorious. _Vader's I_nquisitorious._"_

Thorne said nothing. Could say nothing as the mysterious 'Starkiller' opened up to him as _he_ had opened to the man only minutes before.

"It was as I was watching him choke my Father and taunting him that I felt a sense of deep burning rage inside me. And before I knew what I was doing I summoned his Lightsaber to me with all my might! I would save Father. I would use my power and save him!"

Starkiller's shoulders sagged and he closed his eyes mournfully. "Only I didn't."

Held in rapture by this powerful tale Thorne could only ask one question, "What happened?'

"My father shouted for me to run. Before I could do anything Vader snapped his neck with like a twig. He then effortlessly wrenched my Lightsaber from my grasp and killed any and all witnesses to what had happened. He then took me as his apprentice and trained me in the ways of the Dark side. To become his pawn in a never ending quest to destroy his Master. He needed an edge to defeat the Emperor, and I was that edge."

Thorne took a step back, horrified at what he was hearing. It certainly put his own situation into perspective.

"We are both men Gabriel Thorne, men shaped by the Monsters that have destroyed our loved ones. Who tried to destroy us. Vader…Diadact. They are one and the same to us. We their victims. They have taken from us what we hold most precious, the ones we love. The pain is terrible. It will never truly leave us. But if we are not carful it will fester and grow inside us. And we grant them the ultimate victory if we allow them to turn us into something we are not, if we allow them to turn us into monsters as well. It took me so long to learn that."

The words were delivered gently but struck Thorne with the physical force of a gravity hammer.

Thorne chuckled without humor while he gave Starkiller a contemplative look, "You make it sound so easy."

"It's not. A few months ago I believed exactly as you do now. But you work at it, day by day."

"Thanks…Starkiller. For talking some sense into me." Thorne said.

"Galen."

Thorne tilted his head quizzically.

Starkiller grinned. "It's my name. Galen Marek."

Thorne was still confused. "I had thought..."

"That I am merely a clone? That I am not really Galen Marek? I had thought that once as well, before I realized that his experiences, memories, emotions, were mine. I _am_ Galen Marek. Starkiller was just a name given to me by the Empire, and I will no longer abide by that label."

Throne nodded in understanding.

"And you are very welcome, Gabriel Thorne." he added.

"You do this peptalk thing pretty good, Galen. Are all Jedi like this?"

Marek smirked, "I don't know. It's my first time."

The two men laughed as the tension of the moment gently ebbed away to be replaced by a sense of camaraderie and new purpose. The remained there in silence for a moment, both trying to make sense of the whole situation.

Thorne looked at his watch, and stood up from the crate. "I have to go, our fireteams mandatory armor systems check is about to begin." He paused, then added, "And by the looks of things, it seems that Madsen is going to be late..."

Thorne walked towards the entrance to the cargo bay, and Galen watched him go, the door closing behind the Spartan with a soft hiss. Looking to his right the Jedi watched a piece of floating debris fall to the floor…

* * *

**Imperial Palace, Couruscant**

Emperor Palpatine sat on his throne, seething in rage on the news he had just received.

An entire sector fleet all but annhilated by these Rebel _scum, _with only three Acclamator Cruisers escaping, all of their captain's lying dead on the floor in front of him.

The sheer incompetancy of the commanders of that fleet filled him with furry, and he let it seep out of him, polluting the air with a tangible weight that made all around him cower in fear..

It was for the better that Admiral Teshik had died in the assault, if he had returned from this _disaster _alive, Palpatine would have made sure that his death was as painful and drawn out as possible.

Despite their ineptitude, the _Acclamator_ captains did bring forth some useful information that made Palpatine realize something: He was going to have to treat this growing Rebellion, along with their new allies, much more seriously.

He reviewed the information in his mind. With the destruction of his fleet the Rebellion gained a major, well-fortified base in the form of Kashyyyk. They were likely to have the help of the barbaric Wookie's as well. Apparently, the new allies the Rebellion had gained called themselves the 'UNSC', but to Palpatine they were all scum. This UNSC fleet was not very large, less than sixty ships, yet they were capable of delivering damages and long-ranges that even his Imperial-II Class Star Destroyers couldn't match. The most powerful of which was without a doubt the flagship, a five kilometer vessel with a massive main weapon that reportedly could shatter ships into thousands of pieces with a single strike.

Palpatine gave an evil smile, this flagship was no match for his own Flagship, the Imperial Super Star Destroyer _Executor_. He had no doubt that his dreadnaught would crush this ship like a Tatooine sand fly.

He had also gotten some disturbing reports from ISB that there have been an increase in worlds that are beginning to support the Rebellion, some as significant as Commenor and Bowthawui. Even more worrying were reports of riots and anti-Imperial demonstrations throughout the mid and outer rims. Acts of sabotage, piracy against Imperial targets had risen sharply, all in support of the Rebel Alliance. The Core worlds remained quiet for the time being, but there were whispers of discontent that could lead to something more. He would have to deal with that soon, show that the Empire had no tolerance for those who would side with traitors. But at present the Fleet was tied down in pacification duties and their ability to mount a second offensive against the new Rebel stronghold was virtually nil. Not to mention no Admiral had dared step forward to volunteer to rid him of this thorn in his side.

However, what worried Palpatine the most was the ever-growing nucleus of Light side Force energy centered around Kashyyyk. There were several auras that he did not recognize, but a few that he did. One was that of Starkiller, Vader's pet project that had run away to almost disastrous effects. Another, and one that left a bad taste in his mouth, was the powerful, wise aura of former Grand Master Yoda. Palpatine had thought the old Jedi to be dead, but apparently he had been wrong on that account. Lastly, was Vader's lost son, Skywalker, the future of the Sith order if all went according to plan.

The Emperor drummed his fingers together. While Vader's plan to capture Skywalker's friends would certainly bring the boy running, that would take more time, and Palpatine had an opportunity that he couldn't let go to waste.

The ISB had been working for years to place a deep-cover agent within striking distance of the Alliance leadership, and they had finally succeeded.

Known as Private Mannis Telcontar to the Rebels, he was part of General Garm Bel Iblis' security detail. However, Mannis Telcontar was in fact one of the best agents ISB had ever produced, known only as Agent 443-B.

Using the most expensive, secure hypercomm that Imperial R&D had ever produced, 443-B had reported yesterday that he was aboard the UNSC flagship, which had become the impromptu command vessel of both factions, and had heard things about Force-potentials being trained to become the next generation of Jedi.

That was something Palpatine could not allow to happen.

443-B's report had confirmed a thought that Palpatine had already had, that the force sensitives would be protected in the most powerful ship available.

Palpatine activated the comm on the arm of his chair.

"Send her in."

The door to his chamber slid open, and in walked a female figure in a black, form-fitting suit, lightsaber on hip, blaster on the other. Her fiery red hair hung loose past her shoulders, and her green eyes were cold and harsh.

She walked over to Palpatine and once she was almost at the foot of his thrown she kneeled, saying with proper respect, "My Lord."

"Rise." commanded Palpatine.

He looked at woman as she stood, an agent he had trained in the dark ways of the Force since she had been a small child. Ruthlessly efficient, she was one of the deadliest, most effective assets that he had ever possessed, and he knew that only she could accomplish the job he was about to order her to do.

"What is your command, My Lord?" she asked.

"Assemble a team. Go to Kashyyyk and commandeer a freighter from the ground operations there. We have an agent critically placed to assist. You will infiltrate the 'UNSC' flagship_ Infinity_. Disable critical systems, eliminate key personnel, and _kill_ any Force-sensitives you can find... except for one. Capture the Skywalker boy and bring him to me. _Unharmed._ That is all."

She bowed. "Yes My Lord.

"Do not fail me. The consequences will be most….severe." Palpatine sneered.

"As you command, my Lord."

The woman turned around, and Palpatine watched her go.

He grimaced as the door slid shut. He was growing weary of this Rebellion, and his patience was quickly running out.

* * *

**Admiral's Private Quarters, UNSC **_**Infinity**_**, Kashyyyk**

Thomas Lasky sighed as he stepped into his room, the door closing behind him.

The lights were dim, and they would stay that way. He had been looking at enough bright displays and readouts for the past thirty hours that the soft darkness was a welcome relief.

He slowly unstrapped and unzipped the fasteners to his uniform, and made sure to hang in neatly in his closet.

Lasky stepped into the bathroom and turned on the water in his small shower. He waited a few seconds for it to get warm, then stepped in.

He inhaled deeply as the warm water ran over his skin, washing away the sweat and dirt acquired from working a double shift.

He quickly soaped and rinsed off, then just stood in the water until it automatically shut off at the five minute mark. Being Admiral of the fleet, he had the choice for longer showers, but he rarely decided to utilize it.

After drying off, Lasky put on pair of fatigues and collapsed into his bed.

Closing his eyes, he started to reminisce on the day's events. The ODP construction was going smoothly, the basic frames of four platforms were already being started. Fleet repairs and upgrades to _Hera's Wrath_ were going well too, only those ships that had sustained significant damage were still docked with the _Cradle_, but all others were more or less ready to roll.

Not two hours ago a group of fifteen ships from Bothawui, and ten from Commenor, had jumped in-system to reinforce the Alliance fleet. Mom Mothma was in fact working on a more concrete agreement with the leaders of those worlds as he lay there on top of his sheets. The Rebellion was gaining more and more support every day. Mon Mothma was so busy in fact that Lasky had to be diverted to one of her aides a couple of times when he tried to contact her.

Thanks to their victories, fresh personnel from those worlds pledging support to the Alliance were already addressing much needed man power shortages for the Alliance, with many more enthusiastic young recruits already in training camps across the Galaxy. It was clear the Rebellion was on the rise.

Not so for the UNSC. The last few battles had taken a toll on their ships and crews. Lasky and his senior captains had been forced to shuffle experienced officers and enlisted to fill in critical gaps in manpower among the fleet, and with over five thousand lost on the surface and in space they still were coming up short.

Even if they somehow survived another Imperial assault, the fleet as combat force would be finished. Sheer attrition of UNSC personnel would accomplish the Imperial objective of knocking the fleet out of the war just as surely as destroying them would have.

Lasky had been considering a proposal put forth by Roland and two of his senior captains about recruiting from the Alliance pool of officer and enlisted to fill in the gaps, but Lasky had been hesitant to do so. They were not UNSC and had not sworn the same oath to defend Earth and all her colonies. Their goal was to take down the Empire. Nothing more, nothing less.

But a more practical problem was that none of them were trained in UNSC tactics or technology. And what few Alliance personnel who _did_ have access to their systems found it hard to comprehend and adapt to. UNSC systems were virtually alien to them. It seemed the technology of this Galaxy seemed to follow one set path. Though there were variances and differences depending on culture and species, by and large technology was virtually identical in form and function, utilizing the same sciences and theories.

This made reverse engineering and dissemination of technology from one source to another as simply as downloading the engineering data. It was a massive advantage to having a massive monolithic culture like the Republic that had virtually unified a Galaxy.

Unfortunately those systems were vastly different from anything the UNSC used and thus incompatible.

Nevertheless his crews were being put under incredibly strain, and as much as he didnt want to admit it he was going to need help.

Lasky tried to let his mind clear while he lay there for a few minutes, only the barely distinguishable background noise of the _Infinity_ registering in his ears. But no matter how hard he tried, he kept coming back to one thought: Could they be the last UNSC personnel in existence?

He didn't know, lord knows how long he had thought about it, but if there was one thing he had, it was hope.

"Roland?" he called.

The AI didn't appear in his quarters to respect his privacy, instead his voice coming through the intercom in the ceiling.

"Yes Admiral?"

"Do we have two slipspace beacons we can spare?"

"We've got dozens sir, two is no problem. What do you need them for?" asked the AI, but he was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

"Send one to one the deepspace refueling station that the Rebel's are operating, and the other to Hoth. Include the coordinates to Kashyyyk in the beacon at the refueling station, and the coordinates to _that_ in the beacon at Hoth. Everything that has happened so far, our first encounter with the Imperials, the treaty with the Alliance, the Battles of Kashyyyk, every loss we've suffered, include that in the Hoth beacon as well."

"Yessir. But do you think that if reinforcements chance going through the wormhole again, they will arrive in the exact same place, during the exact same time period that we are in?"

"I don't know Roland. But if they do, they should be informed of the situation as quickly as possible." said Lasky.

"Understood. The beacons are launching now."

"That will be all Roland, thank you."

The AI left to attend to other things, leaving the Admiral alone.

He looked at watch, eight hours until he had to be back on the bridge, might as well get some sleep while he could...

* * *

**Modified Correlian Freighter **_**Millennium Falcon**_

"Well dammit try it again!" said Han, irritated.

"I'm telling you, it's _not_ working." replied Leia curtly.

"Lemme try."

Leia raised her arms in defeat and got out of the pilots chair, storming off into the depths of the ship.

From the co-pilots seat, Chewie made a soft laughing sound.

Han shot him a snarl, "Laugh it up fuzzball!"

The smuggler then turned his attention back to the control panel in front of him. He flipped a few switched and turned a couple of knobs, and fixated his eyes upon a small bulb. It turned green, and Han looked up into the air, listening. The ship's cockpit intercom popped, then descended into static.

Since the last message about the Alliance fleet rallying at Kashyyyk news had been sparse. Han had heard through some old contacts that a massive battle had been fought at Kashyyyk, but he hadn't heard the outcome. It had left them all on edge. Han and Leia were worried about Luke. Chewie was worried that his world's short lived freedom might be crushed before it could flourish, and the terrifying thought hat his people were once again back in chains.

But they hadn't heard anything one way or another, and with Vader steadily tightening the noose around them their nerves were getting frayed.

Han sighed and rubbed his eyes, swirling his pilot's chair around. He stopped when he saw Leia leaning in the entrance to the cockpit, arms crossed.

"Didn't work?"

Han nodded. "We're being jammed. No communications in or out. The Imperials must be getting closer."

"How far away are we from Bespin?" she asked.

"About two days. Hopefully Lando will be able to help us out..."

"I'm sure he will." said Leia.

All were silent for a moment as they realized that until the got to Bespin, they were alone, cutoff from help, and very vulnerable with the hyperdrive down. It wasn't a good feeling.

Han gestured back towards the inside of the ship with his head. "Why don't you get some sleep Princess? We can handle it up here for now."

Leia just nodded softly and walked back to her quarters, her boots clicking on the metal deck.

Han shared a look with Chewie, then looked back out the forward viewport into the blackness of space.

* * *

**Endor**

"Well, here we are."

Gunnery Sergeant Edward Buck looked to his senior technician, Corporal Green, who was holding a datapad in one of her hands and some kind of antenna in the other.

"Are you sure?" asked the ODST, to which Green just nodded.

Buck turned his head back to the front. He was at the edge of a large, empty semi-circular clearing, which ended at the sheer vertical face of a large cliff.

"Gunny, there's nothin' here." said Romeo, annoyed at having to walk five and a half clicks for this.

"He's right Sarge, just this grass field and some tall rocks." added Mickey.

"Sergeant Stacker, have your sqaud secure the perimeter." ordered Buck, taking a knee.

"Sergeant." said the Marine, "Alright, you heard him ladies, get a move on!"

Buck shouldered his DMR and peered through the scope at both the open field and the clifface, finding nothing of significance.

"What do you think Corporal?" asked Buck.

"I don't know sir, these _are_ the coordinates. It could be that the signal is faulty, that it's not broadcasting the right location."

"_Forerunner's aren't known to make such small mistakes."_

Buck looked over his shoulder to the ever-silent Rookie, his body posture showing his alertness, and caution. The navy nurse, Janice was her name, was standing a little closer to him than Buck would have liked. After all, what are standard combat intervals used for anyway?

"I dunno Rook, I feel like if there was Forerunner here, we'd be able to see it." commented Dutch, to which the other members of the squad nodded their heads.

"Cover me, I'm going to go check it out." said Buck.

The ODST stepped out into the clearing, rifle raised, and slowly began walking. The grass field was about fifty meters square, large enough to make a landing pad for their two aerial vehicles. Twenty meters in, nothing had happened, and Buck hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary.

He was in the process of deciding to go to the cliff wall when for a split second, it felt as though he walked through a wall of water, the air thickening around him. The feeling was gone as quickly as it came, but it revealed something to Buck that made his mouth drop wide open.

Where there had once been a jagged, vertical clifface, there was now a hundred meter tall, twenty meter wide, gleaming metal door, a sharp crease running straight down the middle.

"Sarge? Sarge! Where'd you go!" asked Dutch through the comm, the surprise showing in his voice.

Buck turned around, perplexed, and answered, "I'm right here Dutch, I haven't moved at all."

"Gunny, you're gone. We can't get a read on you visually, or on the motion tracker, and your IFF tag isn't transmitting." said Greene.

"I'm still in the clearing," Buck said looking back at the edge of the forest where his squad was. He activated his visors zoom and centered in on Romeo. "Romeo, I can see you leaning on your sniper rifle."

To prove the point that he was still there, Buck took a couple of steps back in the direction of the forest, and once again felt the strange resistance for a brief second.

Dutch stepped out into the clearing, arms raised. "What the hell Buck?"

"I'm guessing you can see me now?" said Buck.

"Man, this is some real now-you-see-me-now-you-don't bullshit." said Romeo.

Buck turned back to the large door he had found, and was startled when he saw just the clifface.

He pointed to the cliff, "I just saw a huge door where the cliff is supposed to be, definitely Forerunner."

Dutch walked over so he was standing besides him. "I don't see anything Gunny."

Buck took a tentative step towards the cliff, and slowly reached his arm out. When he encountered that strange resistance he stopped. His eyes widened when the air around his arm seemingly started to ripple, and his arm 'disappeared' up to his elbow.

"Huh." said Buck.

Dutch looked from Buck's half-invisible arm to the clifface, then back again. The ODST then stepped forwards and disappeared from sight, leaving a slight rippling in the air in his wake.

There were a few seconds of silence, then Dutch said, "That's one helluva door Gunny."

He then suddenly reappeared right where he had been standing before, yet facing the other direction.

"Sergeant, I think I know whats happening here." said Greene.

"Some sort of active camouflage system?" asked Buck.

"It seems so. One that projects an realistic image of what the surrounding area should look like." said Greene.

"It's one way though," started Dutch, "you see the image given when viewing from the outside, but from the inside you can see what's outside real time."

"It also blocks any sensor readings." added Greene.

"But not comms." remarked Buck, to which the Corporal just nodded.

Buck thought for a few seconds, then said, "Sergeant Stacker, stay here with your men and hold the perimeter. We've discovered what appears to be the entrance to a Forerunner structure, and are going to investigate."

"Roger Gunny. Be careful."

"Mickey, Romeo, Rookie, Greene, and Jan, you're on the investigation team with me and Dutch. Let's go."

Five figures emerged from the forest and jogged over to Buck and Dutch, who had already walked back into the threshold of the camouflage field.

"Woah." muttered Greene, once she saw the scale of the entrance.

"You could fit an Elephant through this door..." commented Mickey.

It was now when Buck had more time to survey the door itself. In the bottom right corner there was a more normal sized door, the kind that was usually encountered in Forerunner structures.

"There." said Buck, marking it on the squads HUD, to which they quickly jogged over too.

There was a holographic display panel to the side of the door, colored red.

Buck noticed the holograph that represented the lock mechanism and touched it. Nothing happened, and the display remained red. He tried again, only to have the same effect.

Romeo swaggered up and nudged Buck out of the way. "Lemme try Sarge, you just need the magic touch." He then cracked his knuckled in a display of showmanship, and rubbed his hands together. The ODST sniper finally touched the display... and nothing happened.

"You're an asshole." said Dutch, chuckling.

It was then when Rookie walked up and tapped Romeo on the shoulder. He looked back to Rookie, and the silent ODST pointed at the display.

Romeo snorted, getting out of the way. "Go ahead."

Rookie reached out and gently touched the display, and it immediately turned greed, indicating that the door was unlocked.

Mickey punched Romeo's shoulder. "Magic touch, eh?"

"Weapons up, stay alert as we go through." ordered Buck.

The squad stacked up at the entry and the door slid silently open. The ODST rushed in and flanked outwards, quickly followed by Corporal Greene and Janice.

They found themselves in a large, rectangular room, clear of any features except a central, raised platform. A soft, white light shone from some unseen source as the humans entered the chamber, illuminating the area.

"Clear left."

"Clear right."

"Clear up."

Buck lowered his rifle and slowly started walking towards the central platform.

"What do you think that is Gunny?" asked Mickey.

"I dunno, a lift maybe? Looks like some of the ones we saw on Requiem." he replied.

The squad stepped onto the platform, large enough to land a falcon on, and converged on the middle facing outwards.

So smoothly that it was barely even felt, the platform started slowly descending.

Buck looked up at the surrounding walls as the lift traveled ever deeper, and continued to do so for another thirty seconds before gently stopping.

There was another door centered in one of the walls, and the squad stepped towards it.

"How far down do you think we are?" asked Romeo.

"Couple hundred meters at least." answered Greene.

"Stack up, same precedure." ordered Buck.

The door opened, and the ODST's moved in once again, but as soon as they crossed to the other side, they stopped dead in their tracks.

Buck dropped his rifle to his side, and his mouth fell open for the second time today.

"Holy shit..." muttered Mickey, summing up the collective feeling of the group.

In front of them, as far as the eye could see, lay miles and miles of forests and fields. Tall grass and green leaves on towering trees fluttered in a soft breeze, while a small creek flowing through the earth bubbled and foamed. The 'walls' curved inwards very slightly, giving the impression that they were in an extremely large, circular enclousure. A bright, warm light eminated from a yellow ball high in the sky.

Buck saw a herd of four-legged animals grazing in the distance, and looked through his scope to investigate.

"Those... those are deer!" he exlaimed.

In a flurry of wings and chirps, a flock of small birds burst from the safety of the trees to relocate somewhere else, obviously surpised of the human's sudden appearance. The birds made sure to stay clear of the pair of eagles floating in lazily circles in the air.

"Where the hell are we?" asked Dutch to no one in particular.

"It looks just like Earth..." said Jan in wonder.

Something caught the eye of Romeo, and his head jerked up and to the left. He raised his sniper rifle and peered through the scope.

"Uhh, Sarge? We've got incoming, definitely not organic. Looks like a sphere, as big as an oversized basketball. Two clicks out and closing fast." reported the sniper.

"Spread out!" ordered Buck. "Keep your weapons ready, but don't fire unless I give the order."

"One click... five hundred meters..." said Romeo.

Buck could see the object clearly through his visors zoom capability now. It looked like a metal cube with rounded edges, with small sections of the material cut out. There was a central 'eye', which was glowing a bright green. The object glinted from what Buck assumed was the artificial sunlight, and approached within a hundred meters of ther position.

As the object got within twenty meters, Buck held his rifle warily, finger on the trigger guard. The object stopped, floating above the ground, and it rotated back and forth, as if surveying the humans. through its green eye.

Its eye changed brightness for a split second, and it slowly floated towards Rookie, stopping a short distance away from him. The object seemingly was staring right into Rookie's faceplate, and Buck could see the ODST tightening the grip on his Battle Rifle.

Then the object did something that made everyone jump a little in their armor. It spoke.

In a very soft, slightly synthesized feminine voice, the object spoke directly to Rookie, it's eye flashing slightly with every word.

"Greetings Reclaimer. I am 294 Simplicit Destiny, monitor of Installation 117. Welcome to the Absolute Record."

* * *

**Don't forget to review!**


	20. Chapter 20: Cloudbound

**Authors Note: Hey. So, it's been a while, sorry about that. It's been so long since the last chapter for a lot of reasons, the most influential of them being that I no longer have ready access to a computer. I've actually had to handwrite this chapter and have it typed up by my girlfriend, special shoutout to her for being awesome. This in no way means the story is dead however, I'll keep writing, by hand if I have to.**

**But enough of that, onto the story.**

**And by the way, in light to some recent reviews, I'm going to keep referring to the Rookie as if it is his first name like I have been, it pretty much is anyways. If you don't like it, sorry.**

**Thanks as always to my betas Sharnorasian Empire and JonHarper.**

**Enjoy**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but all original content is mine.**

* * *

**Chapter 20: Cloudbound**

**Endor**

"Absolute Record?" asked Mickey loudly, "What the hell is that?"

The softly glowing green 'eye' of the monitor Simplicit Destiny turned from Rookie to Mickey, then back again, as if confused.

"You do not know?" asked the A.I.

Since the monitor was looking at Rookie, and he sure as hell didn't know, the ODST shook his head no.

Simplicit Destiny bobbed up and down. "Interesting, that a reclaimer would not know the purpose of this installation. Statistically improbable, but interesting."

The monitor retreated a few inches. "Very well."

Its eye glowed again, and suddenly the humans were enveloped in a brilliant flash of light. That light resolved itself into an array of figures, planets, asteroid belts, space debris, and halo rings.

It was evident that the humans were surprised, they all visibly recoiled and a few took a step back.

"Woah..." said Dutch softly, eyes darting to and fro behind his visor.

Janice reached up to touch one of the holograms, and drew her arm back quickly when it reacted, lighting up at the source of the touch, slowly floating in the opposite direction.

Buck gestured towards all of the holograms with his free hand. "What is all of this?"

"You are looking at every piece of Forerunner technology that was left behind in what you call the Milky Way galaxy after the activation of the Halo Arrays. My creator, the Librarian, built this installation as a way to catalogue their purposes and locations. All of their coordinates, activation codes, ect., they are all stored here."

Simplicit Destiny was only met by the stunned silence of the humans in front of it.

"Holy Christ," exclaimed Dutch. "Buck, do you know what this means?"

"Yes Dutch, I believe I do." replied the Gunnery Sergeant.

"No! Not that. I mean, yes, that, but there's something else."

"What?"

"It means that we are in our galaxy, that we still have a chance of UNSC rescue." Dutch looked towards Simplicit Destiny. "Right?"

"No." replied the monitor curtly.

Dutch furrowed his brows. "Well? Where the hell are we then?" he asked, a trace of anger bleeding through his voice.

"Spiral Galaxy 118013, as designated by the Forerunners, approximately thirty-seven million light-years away from the Milky Way." said the monitor.

Everyone's shoulders slumped at that.

Romeo threw his hands up in the air. "So what, we're fucking stranded? Why the hell would the Forerunners build something in a galaxy thirty-seven million light-fucks away anyway?!"

"A safety precaution." stated Janice quietly.

"You are correct." said the monitor. "At the time of this installation's construction, the war against the flood was coming to a close, and it was clear that the Forerunners could not emerge victorious. So, when the Librarian constructed this installation, knowing the importance it would hold in the future, she chose to do so as far away from the Flood as possible."

"So she picked this place." said Buck. "But how did she get here?"

"I do not know." revealed Simplicit Destiny. "I was created upon the completion of this installation, and the Librarian deemed that piece of information as... unnecessary."

"What I want to know is this: how the hell did the Librarian expect us to get here?" asked Buck.

"A valid question, and knowing the vast differences between your home planet of Earth and here, one I had as well. When I approached the Librarian on the subject, she simply said 'When humanity is ready to claim the Mantle of Responsibility, they will come.' And here you are. You, and thousands more."

"Hold on a second," said Buck. "Thousands? There might have been thousands before the Blazing Sun was destroyed and that ship crashed into our base, but now there's only a few dozen."

"You are incorrect. There are others from your 'UNSC' in this same galaxy."

That piece of news definitely got a reaction from the humans.

"What?!"

"Where are they?"

"Why didn't you tell us about this before?!"

"Is it the rest of the Battle Group?"

"How do you know this?"

Simplicit Destiny's central green eye flitted back and forth, not sure whose question to answer first, all of them asked at the same time.

Buck gave an annoyed sigh and held up his hand in a fist, which immediately caused everybody else to shut up.

The Gunnery Sergeant stepped towards the monitor. "Alright, let's try this again. First of all, what 'others' are you talking about, and where are they?"

"There are a number of UNSC ships, along with a few from the faction you call the Covenant orbiting the planet known in this galaxy as Kashyyyk." said the A.I.

Buck nodded, "So that is Lasky and the rest of the fleet. Kashyyyk. Okay, so how do you know this?"

"This installation has a very advanced passive sensor suite. There are thousands of probes scattered throughout this galaxy that feed into the system as well."

"Passive sensors? Does this installation have any long range communication devices?"

"No. Communication devices are against protocol."

"Dammit..." sighed Buck. "Do our other forces knw we're here?"

"Unlikely. If they did, then they have made no moves to suggest it." said the monitor.

Buck was silent for a moment, thinking, when a message from Rookie appeared in his visor.

"Sergeant, what about the forces that attacked us? They should still have a ship in orbit, one that possibly has long-range comm gear."

Buck looked at the ODST and nodded. "Good thinking Rook."

Turning back to Simplicit Destiny, Buck said, "I assume you know all about this galaxy, with your fancy sensor network and whatnot, so who were those people that attacked us?"

"They call themselves the Empire, the current governing body of the galaxy. With power centered on a single dictator, they use their massive military capital as their way of imposing the Empire's rule. Recently however, there has been an ever-growing rebellion set on breaking free of the Empire's rule. Coincidentally, after the Empire destroyed one of your ships upon arriving in this galaxy, the same rebellion that your Lasky seems to have sided himself with.

Buck tilted his head back in exasperation. "A galactic war! What the hell were they thinking?"

"War or no war, we need to get back to them." said Dutch.

"You're right Dutch." Talking to Simplicit Destiny, he asked "Is that ship still here?"

"Yes. I could give you a better reading from the control room though."

"Okay. How far?"

"Oh, it is not far at all, you will be there shortly."

Buck suddenly saw dozens of small orange rings surround him, then his vision just as quickly went black. His sight returned almost instantly however, along with a brief sense of vertigo.

The ODST would have noticed that he was now in a medium-sized hexagonal room with high ceilings and a dark blue atmosphere were it not for the hulking piece of bi-pedal Promethean metal not a meter in front of him.

Buck jumped back and raised his shotgun. "Knights!" he yelled.

He was about to send an 8-gauge shell full of armor-piercing flechettes towards the Knight, which he noticed was facing away from him, when he heard someone yell, "Wait! Stand down!"

Buck paused and noticed that this Knight was different. It glowed blue instead of orange, and still hadn't turned to engage him, or even acknowledge his presence.

The sergeant slowly lowered his weapon and turned to see Janice with both of her hands in the air, looking at another Knight ten meters away.

He heard the rest of this squad lower their weapons as well. Out of the corner of his eye Buck saw Simplicit Destiny floating above them.

"Do not worry." said the monitor. "These Prometheans will not become hostile towards you."

"What are they doing here?" asked Buck, still calming down from his almost-firefight.

"They act as the installation's security. Come, this way." said the monitor, floating towards a set of holographic consoles in the middle of the room.

The humans began walking with the monitor.

"How did we get here?" asked Janice.

"This installation has an extensive teleportation grid." replied the monitor.

"Is this where all the coordinates and data are stored?" asked Buck.

"Yes."

"Well, can we access it?"

"No."

"Why the hell not?" Romeo broke in, a little angrily.

"My scans show that you lack the Janus Key, the object required to unlock the encryption sequences."

Romeo sighed. "Fucking figures. I'm getting tired of this Forerunner bullshit..."

"Can it Romeo!" ordered Buck. "It's just another safety precaution, right?"

"Yes."

"Besides, someone from the fleet probably has it, even more reason why we need to establish communications with them." concluded Buck.

They reached the center consoles, one of which was showing a holographic representation of a large, triangular ship hanging in low orbit.

"There is your ship, an Imperial II-class Star Destroyer." stated Simplicit Destiny.

"Star Destroyer, huh? A little grandiose if you ask me." commented Mickey. "Question is, how do we get to it?"

He's right, not much our Falcon or Hornet is going to be able to do." said Dutch.

"Could you teleport us?" asked Janice.

"No, the teleportation grid does not transverse that far into the atmosphere." answered the hovering A.I.

Meanwhile, Buck was staring intently at one of the Promethean Knights, standing silently, its destructive potential just waiting to be unleashed.

"I think I have an idea..."

* * *

**UNSC **_**Infinity**_**, Kashyyyk Space**

"Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! This is the Captain of the UNSC _Infinity_I! We've been boarded by hostile forces! All hands to battlestations! Repeat, all hands to battlestations to repel boarders!"

Admiral Thomas Lasky closed the shipwide comm channel and turned to his bridge crew.

"Arm up!" he yelled, and the bridge burst into action.

In several locations, panels in the wall slid open to reveal racks of weapons, armor, and monitors. Battle rifles, assault rifles, sub-machine guns, shotguns, grenades, helmets, armored vests, arm grieves, ammunition, and etcetera.

The bridge personnel moved with purpose and haste, demonstrating a level of choreography that could only be reached through dozens of training exercises.

Half of the twelve-man Marine guard rushed out of the double doors into the hallway, while the other half remained on the other side, taking up positions with their weapons aimed towards the opening. The instant the last Marine crossed the threshold into the hallway, the doors hissed, as they slammed shut, with the mechanized whir of their locking systems anchoring them in place.

Weapons officers took their places at the weapons racks and began handing them out to the rest of the crew.

Lasky quickly acquired a full set of body armor and an MUSD Tactical Shotgun along with a bag of shells.

He slid his armored vest over his chest, followed by his thigh, shin, and arm plates.

Last came the helmet, a fully enclosed, self-sealing model of the standard Marine helmet. In the case of a loss of oxygen due to decompression or an otherwise contamination of the air, the helmet could provide the user with up to thirty

With practiced ease, Lasky turned to his crew and pumped his shotgun. "Take positions!"

They scrambled into their pre-designated cover positions, with Lasky himself taking place behind the main holotable.

An explosion outside the doors chook the deck, and Lasky noticed the Marine return fire had ceased.

Lasky palmed the grip of his weapon and pointed it at the door.

The bridge was deathly silent, when suddenly there was a reverberating thump, much the same as someone forcefully palming a piece of drywall.

It was a sound Lasky knew all too well. Breaching charge.

"Get down!" yelled the leader of the Marine bridge guard, ad Lasky quickly obliged, hunkering down behind the holotable.

Lasky didn't hear the explosion, he had the automatic noise dampeners in his helmet to thank for that, but he sure as hell felt it. The violent vibrations shook Lasky's teeth and caused him to have to readjust his back foot in order to keep his balance.

"Open fire!"

A hail of hot UNSC lead poured through the newly open doorway, but the thick white smoke billowing from the opening made it impossible to see if the fire had any effect.

Two Marines each detached a fragmentation grenade from their belts and tossed them into the smoke, with one yelling, "Frag out!"

Lasky ducked back behind his piece of cover and took the brief opportunity to reload his now-empty shotgun.

The twin explosions of the grenades turbulently shook the bridge, the dust and particulates they threw into the air combining with that of the initial breaching charge.

The UNSC crew popped back out from cover, but was only met with silence.

After a few seconds, two of the Marines got up from behind their cover and slowly advanced towards the door. There was still a heavy smoke screen obscuring visibility into the hallway.

They had barely taken two steps when out of the smoke a ruby red laser bolt screeched through the smoke and impacted one Marine right in the visor.

The light energy bolt burned through the tempered glass like tissue paper, and the Marine crumpled to the ground, a lifeless sack of bricks.

Not a millisecond later, a trio of laser bolts hit the second Marine, the first shot hitting dead-center in his neck, while the second and third scorched his chestplate and sent him sprawling backwards, dead.

The UNSC crew instinctively flinched, and like a deadly tsunami, Imperial Stormtroopers flooded into the bridge. Pouring blasterfire every which way.

Lasky had just tucked his first shell into the chamber when the mass of Stormtroopers cascaded through the door.

The Admiral quickly brought the shotgun up to his shoulder and took aim. He pressed the trigger and sent a shell barreling toward the first Stormtrooper.

At this range, the heavy-duty pellets were devastatingly effective, taking off most of the Stormtrooper's upper chest.

The resonating boom of Lasky's shotgun was the tip of the UNSC's spear of return fire.

Assault rifles, SMGs, Magnums, shotguns, they all came to life in an attempt to stem the tide of boarders.

Armor was dented and cracked, visors were shattered and scratched, black bodysuits were pierced, limbs were blown off, and warm, crimson blood and bits of bone covered the deck.

It wasn't enough. For every Stormtrooper they killed, two more stepped over the body to take his place.

The UNSC bridge crew was being quickly whittled down by the accurate Imperial blastfire.

Lasky heard a metallic clang on the deck beside him, and when he turned his head towards the sound, the gleaming metal sphere of an Imperial thermal detonator greeted him.

Lasky responded instantly, instinct causing him to dive and roll to the side.

He almost wasn't fast enough, he could feel the heat from the explosion of thermal energy sear his back, causing him to gasp in pain.

At the end of his roll Lasky was horrified to find that not only was he out in the open, but that an Imperial Stormtrooper was turning his way.

Lasky raised his shotgun, his back still on fire, and pulled the trigger.

*Click*

Without a second of hesitation the Admiral let his shotgun drop to the floor and went to draw his sidearm.

He wouldn't be so lucky, as the Imperial Stormtrooper saw his movement, and in a surprising display of marksmanship, blasted the Magnum from his hand, the new slugged weapon clattering to the deck a couple of meters away. The sheer heat from the near impact severely burnt Lasky's hand, and he gave a grunt of pain.

Much to his surprise, the Stormtrooper lowered his weapon and walked towards Lasky slowly.

Lasky took a quick glance around the bridge from his position on the ground. All he saw was death. Every single Imperial and UNSC crewmember was dead, save for him and the approaching Stormtrooper. Other than Lasky's semi-ragged breathing and the approaching Trooper's footsteps, there was complete silence.

The Stormtrooper stopped in front of Lasky and pulled off his helmet, and what the Admiral saw underneath shook him to his very core.

Looking down at him with hate-filled eyes was none other than ONI Captain Serin Osman.

As she looked at him stony-faced, she said with a great amount of disdain, anger, and malice, "I will not let a traitor like her ruin this chance we've been given, she will abandon the UNSC just like she abandoned me... and if you aren't going to stop her, then I will."

She pointed her blaster rifle at his face, and his world was filled by a bright red light...

Lasky's eyes flew open, and he bolted upright on his bed. He was breathing hard, and he could feel the sweat dripping down his brow.

He took a moment to take a few deep breaths and wiped the perspiration from his face with his sleeve.

Lasky looked at his watch. Seven minutes until he was due back on the bridge. Might as well get up, he thought.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and slowly stood up.

He involuntarily shivered as he recalled the dream he had just had. What had it meant? Captain Osman 'killing' him, saying that she would stop 'her' no matter the cost. Who was she referring too?

Walking over to his small bathroom, he turned the faucet on cold and let it run for a few seconds.

Lasky cupped his hands and let them fill with water before splashing his face. He did this twice before setting his hands on the cold, metal countertop, looking at his reflection in the small wall mirror.

Lasky grimaced as he saw himself, little lines of water still running down his face, collecting at the tip of his chin before dripping into the sink.

He looked tired, weary, beaten down, Eyes sunken low, day old stubble.

The bitter truth was he was tired of constantly risking the lives of those under his command in this war, weary from pulling double, sometimes triple, shifts to make sure what needed to be done was getting done, beaten down by the immense pressure being Admiral of the Fleet put on him.

His thoughts briefly drifted back to their own galaxy. He thought of Earth, as much as his home as his nearby birthworld of Mars. He recalled looking at her from orbit, seeing the sprawling green landmasses, the smart, blue vastness of the oceans, and the whimsical whiteness of the clouds.

Lasky wondered if he would ever see them again.

No, he thought, he wouldn't let his longing get the better of him, because he was needed in the present.

Instead, he thought of his crew, how they looked at him knowing he would make the right decision, how they would follow him everywhere, even to death if need be.

Lasky needed to be confident, decisive, and alert.

And so he would be.

He walked to his closet and exchanged his BDUs for his Admiral's deck uniform.

Opening the door to the corridor, Lasky stepped outside, making sure to take the time to return the salute of the two Marines standing guard.

Only a few meters away, Lasky strode with purpose into the bridge, letting the familiar din of activity wash over him.

Any thoughts of unease brought upon either by his strange dream or the not-so-good position of the UNSC fleet were immediately banished. Here he was in his natural environment.

The Marine bridge guard sergeant snapped to attention, bellowing "Admiral on deck!"

The whole bridge crew quickly turned towards him and came to attention.

"At ease." Lasky said, and they all returned to their duties.

Lasky walked over to the main holotank, where he saw the _Infinity_'s A.I. Roland sorting through some holograms.

Roland turned towards Lasky as he approached. "Ah, good morning Admiral."

Lasky glanced at his watch, it read 0601.

"Roland. What's the status on fleet repairs?" he said, asking the first question, and possibly the most important, that popped into his head.

"They're coming along, Admiral. The Cradle and the fleet's engineers have been working around the clock since we routed the Imperials. Most repairs to critical systems are almost complete; estimates put it at about one week before all ships are back to one-hundred percent. The only ships that are currently at full strength are the _Infinity_, Rtas' _Shadow of Intent_, and Captain Eclipse's _Hera's Wrath_. You will also be happy to know that the upgrades to her Star Destroyer were completed an hour ago."

Lasky nodded. "Excellent."

A communications officer flagged Lasky down with his hand, saying "Sir, Admiral Ackbar is on the comm for you."

"Put him through." said Lasky as he turned towards the nearest viewscreen.

As the Mon Calamari's face appeared on the screen Lasky was about to offer a greeting, but the Alliance Admiral cut him off.

"I need to be brief Admiral," began Ackbar, "Our spies have narrowed down the possible location of our missing VIP's down to three planets, and Alliance High Command has deemed that they can't wait any longer. I have been ordered to assemble task forces to attempt a rescue mission."

Ackbar's voice became lower, as if he was frustrated. "However, Mon Mothma has only given me enough ships to reasonably split into two groups, stating that we needed all the crews we could spare to ensure the defense of this 'bastion of liberty.' Separating them into three would spread my forces so thin as to eliminate them as a significant threat to any possible Imperial defenders. Yet, there are three planets. You see my predicament here…"

Lasky nodded in understanding. "We will take responsibility for the third planet Admiral." he said.

"Are you sure? I was hoping not to get you involved, first for the sake of your crews, but also because this should be our fight." said Ackbar.

"We have three ships that are at full combat strength, more than enough to handle anything the Imperials could throw at us. Besides, this could be another chance to increase morale, or to gain another important pool of resources. The potential benefits outweigh the costs." reasoned Lasky.

"If you believe so." replied Ackbar. "Your destination is the gas giant of Bespin, a large potential supplier of Tibanna gas, the most vital component of our energy lasers. Coordinates and any other relevant information, cities, populations, known defenses, the like, are already being sent. My task forces are to leave immediately, how long until you can depart?"

"We can be underway in less than half an hour." answered Lasky.

"Very well. Thank you Admiral, and may the Force be with you."

With that, Ackbar disconnected the line.

Lasky acted quickly. "Comms, get me a joint channel with Captain Eclipse and Shipmaster Vadum'"

"Right away sir!"

Within ten seconds they both were on the viewscreen in front of him. Eclipse whipped off a crisp salute while Vadum' crossed one arm over his chest.

"Time is of the essence, so listen carefully." said Lasky. "The Alliance has narrowed down the location of our missing VIP's to three planets, and have decided that now is as good a time to launch a rescue attempt as ever. However, they can only spare enough ships to cover two of the planets, leaving us with the third. As we are the only ships in the fleet at one hundred percent, we will be the ones to go. Captain Eclipse, I trust you are satisfied with the modifications to your ship?"

The newly minted USNC Captain gave a grin that could be described as predatory. "Yes Admiral."

"Good. Shipmaster, are there any problems I should worry about?"

"No Admiral, my warriors are ready to sail for battle right this second." replied the Sangheili.

Lasky had actually been planning for this moment. By now, the Imperials would have to have realized what a deadly opponent the UNSC ground and space forces were, and most definitely knew that the _Infinity_ was the capital ship. That would mean one of two things. Either any potential Imperial defense completely ignored the _Infinity_ out of fear, which Lasky gave almost a zero chance possibility, or they would swarm her with everything they had.

That is why he had invested so much in Eclipse's Star Destroyer. Hopefully it would be their trump card, at least for this engagement, as the Imperials would likely pay much more attention to the threat posed by the larger and more deadly _Infinity_ and _Shadow of Intent_, leaving Eclipse's SD to take them completely by surprise.

"Captain Eclipse, since the Imperials will likely expect most of the ground force to come from the _Infinity_, I am going to transfer a majority of them to your ship. While we occupy the space defenses, you slip past to deploy the rescue teams. Depending on the size of the Imperial garrisons both in space and on the ground, we will attempt to liberate the planet if possible. We will leave as soon as the designated forces are redeployed to the _Hera's Wrath_. Any questions?"

Both Eclipse and Vadum' shook their heads.

"Perfect. Notify the crew, plot a course for Bespin."

* * *

**UNSC **_**Infinity**_**, Kashyyyk Space**

Spartan Gabriel Thorne was lying on his bunk in his room, eyes closed, breathing slowly. He wasn't asleep, not at all. Rather, his mind was trying to make sense of everything that had happened since they had arrived in this new galaxy. The war with the Empire, siding with the Alliance, but most of all, the fact that he now knew he possessed this otherwordly power called the Force.

As if to prove that it was there, he felt a ping in his mind. Grant, the only female member of Majestic Squad, had just rounded the corner to the corridor and was approaching his room.

Thorne smiled. He waited until he could sense that Grant was almost at the door before saying "Open."

The door obeyed, showing Grant with her left arm raised mid-knock.

She smirked at him, and said "Hey Gabriel."

"Hey Tedra."

"Do you mind if I come in?"

Thorne nodded no, then swung his legs over his bunk so that he was sitting on the edge.

Grant walked in the small room and leaned against the wall opposite Thorne, the door closing behind her. Thorne kept the lights off, the soft glow of a wall mounted chemlight was more than enough illumination for the Spartan's augmented eyes.

"We missed you at lunch today." started Grant.

"I wasn't feeling good." said Thorne.

Grant crossed her arms against her chest. "That's bullshit and you know it."

Thorne glanced downwards, remaining silent.

The female Spartan waited a moment before speaking, looking at the top of Thorne's head. "What's the matter Gabriel? Ever since we drove off the Imperials, you've started to become sort of distant. You're quieter than you used to be. It's not like you."

Thorne just shrugged.

Grant sighed heavily. "Come on Thorne, you've got to talk to us. You have nothing to say for yourself about yesterday's combat sims? Kodiak team had a field day out there with us!"

"Is that why you're here? To criticize me about my performance? I know what I did, I know I did poorly, and it not only affected me, but the rest of Majestic as well." said Thorne rather harshly, disappointment towards himself bleeding through his voice.

Grant's expression softened. She walked over and sat next to Thorne on his bunk. "No Gabriel, it's not... it's just that I'm worried about you. I know that yesterday was just combat sims, but tomorrow we could be on another battlefield, and if you zone out against like you did, you could endanger not only yourself, but everybody around you as well."

Thorne put his head in his hands and rubbed his eyes. "I know... There's just been a lot on my plate recently, a lot I have had to deal with."

"It's this whole Jedi business isn't it?" asked Grant.

Thorne looked at her and nodded. "It's hard to explain. Hell, I'm still trying to explain it all to myself. To find out not only that I have this almost unexplainable power that lets me do things I have never thought possible, but also that I might be this part of a much, much larger plan that is being drafted without my input, it's all a lot to take in."

"Are you talking about the Force? That is has some grand destiny for you?" said Tedra a little skeptically.

"Yes." replied Thorne. "I was talking with Starkiller, no, it's Galen now, a few days ago. He said that the Force has the power to indirectly influence individuals, influence history."

"And you believe this? That your destiny has already been chosen for you?" asked Grant.

"I don't know what to believe. I believed in God until the truth about the Forerunners came out. I believed that the war was over when the Covenant was defeated, but then the Didact appeared. I believed that we were the only other humans we would ever meet, but now here we are in a galaxy who knows how far away, and here are humans nearly identical to us."

"So is that why you've been distancing yourself? Because you think it is this Force's will for you to pursue the path of a Jedi rather than a Spartan? Is this what that Galen bloke has been telling you?" said Grant a little angrily.

"No no no, it's not his fault. Galen has done nothing but try to help me understand what it means that I have these powers, while others don't. He's a good man. A good friend." said Thorne. "It's just that I've been thinking about it a lot. What if it gets to the point where I can no longer be a Spartan? Where I have to leave Majestic team? What if I accidently hurt someone?"

Grant reached out and put one of her hands on top of Thorne's, squeezing slightly. "That's all a bunch of rubbish. Only you can decide what will happen to you, magical influence be damned. And Galen? He's not your only friend, you know. You still have your squad and you still have Majestic. Just because you have this Force doesn't change the fact that you're part of our family. I know that to me at least, you'll always be a Spartan first, mystical Force-wielding wonderboy second."

Thorne chuckled and gave Grant a small smile which she returned. "Thanks. I know what you're saying is true, but it just feels good to hear it. It means a lot."

It was then when the intercom crackled to life, and the voice of the _Infinity _AI Roland came through the speakers.

"Attention all crew. Attention all crew, report to general quarters immediately. The possible locations of the missing Alliance VIP's have been discovered, and we will soon be underway to attempt a joint-rescue mission. All relevant information is being sent to your commanding officers, along with a list of ground combat personnel and assets that are to be immediately transferred to the _Hera's Wrath_. Repeat, all designated ground personnel and assets are to report to your hangar bays to transfer to the _Hera's Wrath_ ASAP."

The intercomm clicked off, and the two Spartans shared a look before they both hurried out the door.

* * *

_**Millennium Falcon**_**, Bespin**

The powerful Correlian freighter blasted through space as it headed toward the soft pink planet of Bespin. Huge, billowing clouds formed a canyon as the ship banked around them, heading towards the system's cloud city. Suddenly, two cloud cars drew up alongside the starship.

One of the cloud cars opens fire on the Falcon; the flask bursts from its cannons rocking the ship.

Besides Han in the copilot's seat, the Wookie Chewbacca barked his concern.

"No, I don't have a landing permit. I'm trying to reach Lando Calrissian." said Solo into the transmitter.

The cloud cars fire a couple of more shots at the Falcon, rattling the interior. A look of worry crossed Leia's face, who was kneeling between Han and Chewie.

"Whoa! Wait a minute! Let me explain!" Han said loudly into the comm.

A voice came back through in response. _"You will not deviate from your present course."_

"Rather touchy, aren't they?" commented the golden protocol droid C-3PO.

"I thought you knew this person." said Leia to Han, one brow raised in suspicion.

Chewie barked and growled at Han, to which the smuggler replied, "Well, that was a long time ago. I'm sure he's forgotten about that.

"_Permission granted to land on platform three-two-seven."_

"Thank you." Han says a little gruffly, still annoyed about being fired upon earlier.

He looked to Leia, "There's nothing to worry about Princess. We go way back, Lando and me."

She doesn't look convinced. "Who's worried?"

As the _Millennium Falcon_ continues to approach the landing platform, the clouds parted to reveal a full view of the city as it bobs in and out of the cloud surface. The cloud cars and the _Falcon_ headed for the gleaming white metropolis.

The Correllian vessel flared out for a landing and gently set down on its struts, steam and smoke billowing out from vents on the underside.

The landing ramp lowers down to the ground, and Han and Leia stand at the opening. Both are wielding blaster pistols. Behind them, carrying his signature bowcaster, Chewie eyed the platform warily.

"Oh. No one to meet us." observed Threepio.

"I don't like this." said Leia.

"Well, what would you like?" responded Han.

"They did let us land." added Threepio.

Solo glanced back to both of them. "Look, don't worry. Everything's going to be fine. Trust me."

On the far side of the platform, a door opened and a group of individuals stepped out, heading for the _Falcon_. Leading them was a suave, dashing black man in his thirties, velvet cape billowing behind him. The man had a grim expression on his face as he closed the distance.

"See? My friend." said Han. He turned to Chewie and quietly said, "Keep your eyes open, okay?"

Chewie let out a soft growl as Han stepped down the ramp to meet the group approaching them.

The darker man stopped a couple of meters from Han, looked at him carefully, and then shook his head.

"Why, you double-crossing, no-good swindler!" the black man said. "You've got a lot of guts coming here, after what you pulled!"

Han pointed to himself innocently and mouthed the word "Me?"

The other man moved threateningly towards the space pirate. Suddenly, he threw his arms around Solo in a solid embrace, laughing and smiling.

"Han Solo! How you doing, you old pirate? So good to see you! I never thought I'd catch up to you again. Where have you been?" he said.

Han smiled back and chuckled, "Hey Lando, it's good to see you too."

"What are you doing here?" asked Lando.

Han gestured towards the _Falcon_. "Ahh… repairs. I thought you could help me out."

Lando feigns panic, questioning, "What have you done to my ship?"

"Your ship?" Han amusedly exclaimed, "Hey, remember you lost her to me fair and square.

Calrissian looks up the ramp and sees Princess Leia standing with her arms crossed against her chest.

"Why hello, what do we have here? I'm Lando Calrissian, the administrator of this facility. And who might you be?" he said just a tad seductively.

"Leia." The Princess curtly replied.

"Welcome Leia." said Lando, bowing before her and kissing her hand.

"All right, all right you old smoothie." Han intercedes, taking Leia by the hand and leading her away from Calrissian.

Lando gestures for the group to follow him off of the landing platform. "What's wrong with the _Falcon_?" he asked.

"Hyperdrive." Solo replied.

"I'll get my people to work on it." Said Lando.

"Good, thank you." said Han, gratitude showing in his words.

"You know, that ship saved my life quite a few times," began Lando to Leia, "She's the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy."

"How's the gas mine? It is paying off for you?" asked Han.

"Oh, not as well as I'd like. We're a small outpost and not very self-sufficient. And I've had supply problems of every kind. I've had labor difficulties…" He caught Han grinning at him. "What's so funny?"

"You. Listen to you - you sound like a businessman, a responsible leader. Who'd have thought that, huh?"

Lando looked reflective for a brief moment. "You know, seeing you sure brings back a few things."

"Yeah…" agrees Han.

Calrissian shook his head. "Yeah, I'm responsible these days. It's the price you pay for being successful."

The two laugh together, and Lando gestures down a corridor. "Come on, let me show you to where you'll be staying."

* * *

**Next stop, Bespin. And trust me, shit's going to go down at Bespin.**

**Don't forget to review!**


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